Exceptions
by HiddenAuthor
Summary: With the threat of ghostly doom out of the picture and his parents accepting him for who he is, Danny Fenton is ready for a much less complicated life.  But...longer summary inside.  SEQUEL TO COMPLICATIONS
1. Mornings

Exceptions

With the threat of ghostly doom out of the picture and his parents accepting him for who he is, Danny Fenton is ready for a much less complicated life. But with the threat of Vlad Plasmius still hanging over her head, Danielle returns to the now safe haven of Amity Park and her progenitor's care. Now Danny must balance his new family relationships, schoolwork, his budding relationship with Sam, and the occasional ghost hunt, all while bringing his "cousin" into his life. And deep in the depths of Clockwork's vast lair, an ominous cracking is heard.

Prolog – Author Stuff

Disclaimer – I am not Butch Hartman, nor am I associated with Nick Studios. If I were, this show's production would not be discontinued after a disappointingly short three seasons. Alas, it is out of my hands. All I can do is borrow their characters to write these stories.

Hey, Readers! I'm HiddenAuthor, and I'm BACK, BABY! Since I had such a blast writing my first fanfic, "Complications," (shameless plug :P ) I decided to stay on here at So, this is my second fanfic, "Exceptions." Same policy for reviews, of course. I really want to hear from everyone. I'm still trying to improve, but I can't do that without advice and criticism. Please don't sugarcoat, I can take it. If you don't like or understand something, let me know. I'll thank you for it. I haven't yelled at a reviewer yet. (Well, I haven't yelled in anger.) If you like the story, you can say that, too. It's not like I don't want good reviews! XD

Here's hoping that everyone who liked "Complications" found this. It literally wouldn't be here without your support. Once again, I promise that in opposition to my greatest pet peeve, this story WILL be finished, no matter what.

Also, since I did a short time skip, and promised an answer, Danny and Sam had Italian for their first date. Don't feel left out, though. They needed a private moment, but you WILL be in on their next date.

Later Much! (Or at least until I fall off page 1)

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 1 – Mornings

'_Mom? Dad? There's something I want to tell you.'_

_Jack and Maddie Fenton came over to their happy, terrified son and the three sat down on the couch. Jazz nervously stepped behind them, ready to back her brother up if anything went wrong. Stalling for one last precious second, Danny turned to his parents._

'_I'm Phantom.' The older hunters stared at their son for a moment, then both broke out in huge laughs._

'_Danny,' Maddie managed to gasp. 'You shouldn't pull pranks like that. Your father and I thought you had something really serious to talk about. And then…' His mother dissolved into another round of laughter. Danny watched, slightly annoyed._

'_Yeah, son!' Jack continued. 'Everyone knows humans can't have ghost powers! It's impossible! Besides, all of our stuff would have-' Both parents stopped laughing._

'_All your stuff would have said I was a ghost?' Danny finished quietly. Not missing a beat, Maddie quietly pulled out a Fenton Finder and pointed it at her son._

'_You'd have to be a complete idiot not to notice the ghost directly ahead.' A mechanical lady's voice intoned out of the speaker. Maddie dropped the device. Danny backed up off the couch and silently changed into his ghostly alter-ego. Looking nervously at his staring parents, Danny started floating up to the ceiling._

'_I'll be back from my date with Sam in a few hours. We can talk when I get back, if you're ready.' The young ghost quickly floated up through the ceiling and took off into the night. There'd be a long talk with his parents later tonight._

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Groggily, Danny thrashed around to untangle himself from his covers and reached over to hit his alarm. He'd had the weirdest dream. He'd told his parents his secret, and-

No longer even remotely sleepy, Danny shot out of bed, wide-eyed. He _had_ told them! After his date, he'd flown back home to wait for them in his room. He must have fallen asleep! Shaking slightly, Danny walked over to his dresser and pulled out some clean clothes. Briefly turning invisible, he phased his head through the door and checked the hallway outside his room. Once he knew that the coast was clear, he ran out and into the bathroom, quickly locking the door behind him. Loud knocking interrupted his morning shower.

"Danny, it's Jazz. Mom and Dad are downstairs in the kitchen waiting for you." Hearing the gasp through the door, her voice immediately became much less serious and more sympathetic. "Don't worry so much, Danny. They've always accepted you before. And this time, it happened the way you wanted it to. Vlad's out of the picture, at least for now. And they accepted and trusted Phantom without any bias in your favor. It was time to tell them. I promise they still love you, Danny."

Danny listened as his sister's footsteps receded down the hallway. He knew she'd back him up, and Sam and Tucker were just a phone call away. Still, this was a really big deal. He'd faced hunters, kings, princes, knights, dragons, and boxes. But he was definitely more afraid of facing his parents. Sighing, Danny turned off the water and toweled off, ready to face the music.

His parents were sitting together at the kitchen table, staring down at their coffee. Neither looked like they had slept much. On the back counter were what looked like the broken parts of just about every ghost weapon they'd used on Danny. Hearing him come down, both of them briefly looked up, but then quickly returned their eyes to their mugs of obviously cold java. Jazz was sitting out in the living room, listening in case Danny needed her, and puzzling over the many reasons her parents might have wanted to break stuff last night. Back in the kitchen, Danny quickly grabbed some orange juice and sat down. After a moment of silence, his mother looked up and turned toward her son, tears in her stricken eyes.

"Danny, I…" Maddie gulped, and looked back down. "We are so sorry. All this time we were hunting you. We did all of those horrible things to you. How couldn't we notice? You must think we're terrible parents." Jack didn't say a word; he just kept looking at his mug.

Danny smiled at his mother, glad that she apparently didn't hate him. "Mom, it's okay. You guys were doing your job. Besides, like you said last week, you couldn't afford _not_ to hunt me until you were sure I was good." Jack looked up from the table at this, confused.

"But son, you could have just told us. We love you, Danny. No matter what you are. Why didn't you trust us?" Danny frowned in thought.

"I always trusted you. You just didn't trust me yet. I didn't want you to trust Phantom just because I'm your son. I wanted you to trust me because of what I've done, because I'm good. That couldn't happen unless you didn't know." Jack nodded for a moment and took a sip of coffee. A moment later, he was spitting the cold sludge out into the sink and grabbing a fresh refill. Jazz chuckled from the living room, and the tension slowly eased out of the house. Maddie emptied her own mug out, then tentatively asked the next question.

"So who knows besides us?" Danny paused, and started ticking off people on his fingers.

"Sam and Tucker were there when it happened, Jazz found out on her own, and most of the ghosts know." Jack put down his mug and looked back at Danny.

"When what happened, Danny? How'd this happen?" Danny opened his mouth, but Maddie spoke up before he could start explaining.

"It was that accident with the portal, wasn't it?" Danny just nodded. Maddie sat back, looking confused. "I don't understand it. After we found out about that, we tested you for contamination. You showed trace levels of ectoplasm, but everything indicated it was inert, and would dissipate over time. What did we miss?" Her son scratched the back of his neck, and continued his story.

"After the accident, things went back to normal for about two weeks. Then, I started dropping stuff. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, but I didn't figure out the connection for a long time. A few days after school started, I was checking out one of my new T-shirts in the mirror, and my head disappeared. As far as I can remember, I got so scared I passed out. When I woke up, I looked back at the mirror, thinking it was a dream. My head was back, but my hair and eyes were a different color. I jumped away from the mirror, and just…didn't come down. After that I just sort of pieced things together on my own." Danny looked towards his audience, trying to judge their reactions. His parents seemed torn between irritation and amusement. Finally, Maddie spoke up again.

"Still, honey, you could have told us. We could have helped you. We still can if you want." Jack nodded, somehow managing to look nervous and enthusiastic at the same time.

"We can't destroy your ghost half, but if you want to be normal again, we can take it out of you." At this, Danny's eyes widened and he sat up straight.

"No! Don't! Even if you think it would help, you can't do that. Something could go very wrong. Trust me!" Taken aback by their son's reaction, they only nodded mutely. Danny sighed. "Look, I've been split apart three times already. Two of those times, things turned out okay. Sort of. But the other time, it didn't. I'd really like to talk about it," Danny said, noting his parents' looks, "but we should wait a while. You guys have a lot to get used to already." Both older Fentons nodded at this. They'd both been so shocked that they hadn't been able to sleep all night. Danny continued, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Besides, the whole ghost thing is a part of me now. I…like to be this way." Danny's eyes lost the nervous edge and hardened with determination. "And as long as I stay like this, ghosts can't attack here anymore. Even if I wanted to go back, I wouldn't. The people here deserve to be safe." Both of his parents looked a little taken aback by this, but at the same time, they seemed very proud. Jack smiled, but then cleared his throat and asked his first question.

"About that, Danny. We saw that blue ghost, and heard what he said about ghosts not being allowed to come here. Why can't ghosts come here?" Danny smiled.

"I've lived here a whole year since the accident. So, this town is mine. At least, as far as ghosts are concerned." He hastily amended, seeing the look on his parents' faces. "As long as I'm here, other ghosts can't show up uninvited. We're all safe now." Finally, with a grin, Jack asked the one question Danny had hoped he'd ask, the one that would prove he really did accept him.

"So Danny, what kind of cool powers do you have?" Grinning back, Danny phased backwards through his chair and stood up.

"Why don't I show you?" Jack stared at the chair for a second, then laughed.

"Sure, son. Should we use the lab?" Without even waiting for an answer, Jack started walking over to the doors, his face lit up with a look that showed he felt like Christmas had come early. Finally joining in the conversation, Jazz called out from the living room.

"Danny, why don't you show them in your room?" Jack froze mid-step and he and Maddie looked at each other in confusion.

"Jazz, the lab would be much safer." But Danny was grinning.

"I think that's a good idea. Come on!" With that, Danny vanished. Shocked, Jack reached over to where his son was standing and waved his hand through the air. Jazz laughed from the living room.

"Teleportation. Definitely a cool power."

Smiling bemusedly, Maddie stood up and took her husband's hand. Together, the two flustered parents climbed the stairs and went to Danny's room. Once inside, they turned to find their son standing beside the closet doors. Grinning wickedly, Danny pushed them apart, showing a second door at the back. The Fentons' eyes stared back and forth from the door, to their son, and back to the door. Finally, Maddie gulped and turned back to her son.

"Umm, Danny. What's that?" Danny slowly reached over and pushed the door open, putting on a theatrical 'scary face.'

"_Tremble puny humans, for you are about to enter into my ghostly lair. Home of many ups and downs. Beware!_" Laughing at his own joke, Danny walked inside, his parents right behind him, staring around at the maze of stone balconies and hundreds upon hundreds of stairs.

"Danny, you-"

"Yes, I made it." Maddie blinked.

"How did you know what I was going to ask?" Danny just snorted, leading his family deeper into his lair.

"Everyone does. What, am I not creative enough? I mean sure, this wasn't really my idea, I got it off of some painting, but I made it." Maddie stopped, eyes wide.

"So, that 'project' that Vlad mentioned, the Escher thing…" Danny tensed, not quite ready to drop _that_ particular bomb. "That was just a cover you made up to research how to build _this_!" The young ghost froze for a second, ready to calm his parents. Suddenly realizing it wasn't necessary, he closed his mouth and nodded.

"Uh…Yep. You figured me out. Good job, mom. Anyway, um, we're here." The three stopped in a large clearing, about the size of a tennis court. Pillars at the corners curved up and met to form giant arches in the center, creating the illusion of a dome. Along the edge, a low barrier ran between the pillars, open only where a stairway started. Jack and Maddie looked around.

"Why here?" Danny shrugged.

"Why not? I don't think I can hurt anything in here by accident. And even if I did, I could just remake whatever I broke." Jack and Maddie looked around.

"Well, it's kind of dark…" Maddie said doubtfully. With a second shrug, Danny walked over to the edge, where he encountered a gap in the barrier that led to a winding path. His parents in tow, Danny walked along the path, which looped around in an impossible way until it reconnected underneath the floor of the room they were just in, upside down. The area in which they now found themselves seemed identical to the last. However, moonlight filtered in from overhead on this side of the two-way floor, giving an even lighting. Both parents looked a little disoriented.

"Err, sweetie, which way is up?" Danny laughed.

"Depends on where you are. I just figured when I made this place: If you can make one, why not two? Sharing a floor made it easier." After taking another moment to re-orient themselves, Jack and Maddie stepped back.

"Alright, son. Go ahead." Looking slightly unsure, Danny quickly changed into his ghost form. Both parents looked at him questioningly.

"Why do you change like that? You seem to be able to use your powers as a human." Danny frowned.

"Yeah, I guess. But when I'm like that, they're a lot harder to use. Ghost hunting is way easier like this." Looking over at his parents, Danny quirked an eyebrow. "So what did you want to see, anyway?" His parents shrugged.

"We don't know. Just show us everything." Nodding, Danny split in two.

"That's duplication." He said, grinning at the look on his parent's faces. Quickly, the first Danny shot a charged up ecto-beam at the second Danny, who formed a shield. The two Danny's then merged back together. "I can do ghost rays and ghost shields, too. I can, um, fly…" Danny said. "But you knew that. My fastest time is two hundred miles an hour, but I think I might be able to go faster than that. I can take over peoples' bodies, but don't like to. I can turn invisible and intangible, and detect ghosts." Danny quickly disappeared and reappeared. "And I have a killer scream." Turning away from his parents, Danny let out a ghostly wail. The entire area shook, and one of the pillars cracked slightly. Panting with exertion, Danny sank to the floor, still in ghost form.

"Honey, are you okay?" Maddie went over and felt her son's forhead. Jack just grinned.

"Man that was cool! Can you do anything else?" Danny shrugged.

"I don't know. I only started teleporting last week. I have no idea what I'll be doing next week." Glancing at the cracked pillar, Danny gave the damaged stonework a negligent wave of the hand. The cracks mended instantly. "Though I have it from some…uh…pretty reliable sources that I'll be able to turn back and forth from this weird green goop, shoot energy out of my eyes, shoot out some sticky green stuff that can trap ghosts and people, make perfect disguises of other people, and make portals to the ghost zone whenever I want." Danny paused for a second, then continued. "I think I'm tougher as a ghost, too. I don't get hurt as easily, I heal faster, and I'm pretty sure I'm stronger too." Maddie nodded.

"Jack and I have been wondering about that. That time when we were interviewed, we heard loud noises from upstairs. Tucker said you were in your room lifting weights, so we always thought that's what was going on." Maddie nodded pointedly at the outline of Danny's jumpsuit, which had filled out a bit in the last year. Danny just nodded, blushing slightly and rubbing his neck.

"Uhh, yeah. Ghost hunting is a pretty good workout, I guess. It doesn't really show as much without the skintight jumpsuit, so I haven't had much trouble hiding at school." Jack raised an eyebrow.

"But why hide it? You could make that Baxter kid back off." Danny shot him a look. "What? All this time you've been getting in trouble with him and you think nobody called?" The ghost boy just shook his head.

"I don't want people asking questions, and I don't want extra attention. That would make it harder to get away and fight the ghosts. Besides, it's not like Dash can really hurt me." Even though he wasn't happy, Jack was satisfied by the answer, and nodded. "Besides," Danny said with a grin, "I already punched him in the nose yesterday. I had that big fight with Plasmius, so I just decided to go for it." Jack grinned back. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Maddie grabbed her son's hand.

"Look, this has been very informative, Danny, and I'd like to study this place later if I can. I mean, this could help me uncover the truth about the nature of a ghost's lair, and what dimension its actually in. But let's get out of here. Your father and I were so nervous about talking with you this morning that we haven't eaten anything, and I'm starving." Nodding agreement, Danny changed back and led his parents to the human door and back into his room, where Jazz was sitting on his bed.

"There you guys are! Took you long enough, Danny; I've been sitting here for over an hour! I mean, it's not like I could just go in there and look for you." Getting up from the bed, Jazz walked over and hugged her parents. "You guys can be pretty embarrassing sometimes, but I'm glad Danny could finally tell you. I'm proud of how you reacted, even if you did spend all of Friday night staring at the ceiling." Chuckling, Jazz headed back downstairs, her family right behind her.

"Hmm." Maddie said, smiling. "You know, I don't really feel like cooking. Besides, the city is safe, Danny trusts us again, and it's a beautiful day. Let's go out for breakfast." Grinning, all four Fentons ran out to the RV and tore off for the Nasty Burger. They hurried in and made it just in time to order the breakfast specials.

Sitting at a back table with a tray full of eggs, sausage, bacon, and pancakes, Danny and his family settled down for a quiet family breakfast. They'd obviously picked a good time, because the eatery was completely empty. Probably the whole 'too early for lunch, too late for breakfast' thing.

"So, since we all have the day off, and Danny deserves a vacation for all his hard work, what should we do next?" Maddie asked, looking around the table. Jack quickly shot his hand in the air.

"Hunt Ghosts! Let's Hunt Ghosts!" Maddie shot her husband an exasperated look.

"Remember dear? The ghosts are gone now. Besides, this is supposed to be a _vacation_." Jack's face fell. Seeing this, Danny smiled and reached his hand across the table to grab his wrist. His father's attention caught, Danny released him and snuck some extra bacon off his tray.

"Don't worry, dad. Every ghost in the ghost zone can still come here until I personally throw them out. You'll still get the chance to kick some ghost butt." Smiling in relief, Jack leaned forward in his seat and started attacking his syrup-soaked pancakes with glee. Deliberately avoiding the sight, Jazz turned to her mother with another idea.

"How about a trip to the theme park? That's always fun. We can invite Sam and Tucker, too." Her mother brightened at the idea.

"Great idea, honey! How about it, Danny?" Grinning, Danny nodded. A few moments later, the happy family breakfast was interrupted by someone loudly clearing their throat.

"Excuse me. Umm…room for one more?" Smiling, Danny turned to face the newcomer and froze in shock, a piece of egg falling from the corner of his mouth.

"_Danielle?_"


	2. Doubles

Hey!

I'm really happy that so many of you that liked Complications have found this. I hope more will, and I eagerly await your reviews. So in that spirit, here's a shout!

Danphanfan, Meagainsttheworld, Esme Kali Phantom, Leah Fenton, Kantix Gabriel, Ummari the Cranky, and The Fluff Ghost! You are all first time reviewers for this story, so you get the special first time shout. Of course, this is the first chapter, so…eh, whatever, you still rock! I remember a lot of you from Complications, and I hope you remain satisfied, despite my evil cliffies. This chapter doesn't have one, so you should like me slightly more. I hope.

Also, special thanks to Ummari for reminding me that I stupidly forgot Dani when Danny had his total breakdown in Complications. My only excuse is a severe case of brain gas. But, I'll just assume Danny was only thinking about his evil connections when he was freaked out. I'm also assuming he would have at least talked to Jazz about Dani since the incident with her. Just seems logical to me, even if that proves that I did indeed forget her earlier in the story. Hope that clears up any potential confusion and special thanks once again to Ummari. Much love, fricai.

Chapter 2 – Doubles

Danielle Fenton looked across the table at her biological family. "Umm…hi?"

Danny had yet to close his mouth, and seemed to be floating slightly above his booth seat. Jack Maddie and Jazz were looking back and forth between their son and this strange girl. Her stomach grumbled loudly.

"Uh, I know you're surprised, but could I grab something to eat? I haven't had hot food in weeks." Snapping out of his shock at this, Danny fell back down and quickly slid to the side, accidentally knocking Jazz off the other end of the booth. Grabbing her wrist, he dragged Danielle up beside him and pushed his tray in front of her. Jazz sat back up, absolutely livid.

"Ow! Danny, what's going on! Some strange girl shows up and suddenly I'm flying off my seat, and…oh! _That Danielle_." Jazz sat back down on the edge and looked the clone over for the first time. "Wow, first Danny's secret comes out, now this." Dani looked over at Jazz and grinned with relief.

"You mean they know about his powers?" Jazz nodded. "Good, that makes things much easier!" Noting the exchange, Maddie also looked over at the strange girl, confused.

"Danny looked shocked to see you and you know about his powers. I take it you two know each other. So, err…Danielle, was it?" Dani nodded. "Who exactly are you?" Taking a huge bite out of her pancakes, Dani turned towards Maddie and wiped some syrup off her chin.

"You just said my name. But call me Dani. And it's kinda hard to explain." She began, shooting sideways glances at Danny. He just shrugged, completely at a loss on how to explain too, taking a long drink from his orange juice. "I'm sort of Danny's…daughter?"

Jack Maddie and Jazz stared at the girl in shock as Danny spit out a mouthful of orange juice and started coughing. The whole table complete with contents phased out for a second, and the juice flew through onto the floor. Danny blushed.

"That would have been really smooth if it happened on purpose." He mumbled to himself. Jack and Maddie finally seemed to be able to speak.

"You're Danny's _what_?" Dani sat back in her seat.

"Well technically…I really don't know how else to put it. It's kinda complicated." Jack turned and glared at his son.

"Danny! I thought we talked about this when I gave you that class ring. And here we find you not only have a daughter, but you haven't been taking care of her!" At this, both Danny and Dani turned bright red.

"No, no! It's not like that!" Dani hurried to explain, very embarrassed. "Danny didn't…I'm not…" The young girl looked from her red faced pseudo-father to his parents and back. "I'm his clone." She explained, going for the short answer. "His arch enemy made me to destroy him, but I decided I like Danny better." She turned her eyes back to the older boy. "He really cares about me. Plamius may have made me, but if anyone's my father, Danny is." With that, the hungry girl resumed destroying several breakfasts, leaving a very flustered father and two new and very shellshocked grandparents to sort things out.

"A clone?" Jazz nodded.

"Danny told me about her a while ago. Vlad made her, but when she found out he was willing to kill her to get what he wanted from Danny, she changed sides. He's been really worried about her, but Vlad's been hot on her tail for months, so she couldn't settle down. And telling Danny where she was would have put our family in danger." At the mention of Vlad, Dani paled.

"Do you mean they know that Vlad is-"

"An evil ghost bent on taking over the world? Yes, they know." Danny quickly cut her off, shooting her a meaningful look. No way was he going to shock his parents _again_ this weekend. Dani gave him a discreet 'ok' and returned to her food.

"Speaking of Vlads, where did Vlad go?" Maddie asked in a slightly dazed voice, realizing for the first time that Masters hadn't been at the house since early yesterday. Danny shot his mother a panicked look. "No not ghost Vlad, sweetie, the other one." Quietly to herself, she mumbled, "Though if I had to choose between them…" Jack smiled over at his wife.

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot! Vladdy told me yesterday that he had to head back to Wisconsin on business. He said he wanted to stay longer, but since the ghost thing seemed to be under control, he couldn't put it off any more." Jack smiled. "Good old V-Man. Maybe we should visit him next!" Dani dropped her fork, but Danny quickly put a comforting hand on her wrist and turned towards his father.

"That's okay, dad. Something tells me he'll be pretty busy for a while." In an undertone to Dani, he whispered "Tell you later." Dani giggled, and started eating again. Maddie looked back over at the strange new girl, her face still registering some shock.

"Well, I suppose it's for the best. This whole ghost power situation is going to take some getting used to, and I don't think having Vlad around would help. And now there's this clone thing, too. It's really a lot to take in." Jack nodded.

"And just imagine if _Vlad_ found out. He's a pretty cool guy, but I don't think he'd understand." Jazz Danny and Dani shared a look. Maddie turned and faced the young ghost girl head-on.

"ButDani, why did you come here? Not that Jack and I are complaining, we're just a little surprised that you…well, exist. The last two days have just been one shock after another. We'd just like some answers." Sighing, Dani put down her fork and set aside any hope of eating in the near future. Looking down at her tray, the ghost girl explained.

"Ever since I betrayed him, Vlad hasn't stopped hunting me. He wants revenge for freeing Danny and destroying the other clones. He put a lot of work into them. In some twisted kind of way, I think he may have even loved the last one. It was a perfect replica of Danny. To him, me and the other clones were just…prototypes. Imperfections. _Mistakes_." A few tears fell from the young girl's eyes, but her resolve quickly hardened. "After a lot of tries, Vlad found out that in order for us clones to be stable, we needed Danny's DNA from when he's changing between forms. Since none of us have it, all the other clones melted when they tried to attack. But, I can't fight Vlad's goons either, 'cause I'll melt too." Dani looked up from her tray. "That's why I'm always running. If I try to use my powers to fight back, I'll…die." Jack and Maddie stared at the girl in shock.

"You have ghost powers, too?" Dani nodded.

"Yeah, all the clones did. But we were all missing some crucial part of Danny's DNA that keeps _him_ together when he's in his ghost form. Vlad kidnapped him to take it by force, but I saved him." Dani looked back at her tray and pushed a few pieces of egg around with her fork. "And I haven't stopped running since." Maddie and Jack looked over at the poor girl with a greater understanding, clearly upset that she'd gone through so much just to help their son.

"That's horrible, Dani. We'll do whatever we can to help you." Maddie looked at the girl. "But you still didn't say why you're here." Dani frowned.

"Yesterday around six, some weird blue ghost appeared at my hideout. I tried to run, thinking it was one of Vlad's, but he stopped me somehow. I thought I was done for, but he just smiled at me, and said '_Danielle. If you want to go back to people who care about you, I promise that Amity Park is now a safe place for you to live. Danny is in charge there now, and Vlad and his minions can't get inside the city limits.'_ I didn't know if I could trust him, but he let me go, so I thought I could at least come check it out." Dani turned to her father. "Is it true?" Danny grinned at her.

"Yes Dani, it's true. Vlad can't come here anymore." The girl practically glowed with relief, and turned to quickly give Danny a big hug. The flustered teen awkwardly patted her on the back, as Dani squeezed tigher.

"I've been waiting for something like this my whole life. I'm finally safe from Vlad! I don't know how you're keeping him out, but thank you!" Dani finally broke off and Danny slowly gasped for breath, rubbing his sides. Jazz cleared her throat.

"Um, sorry to break the mood, but where are you planning to live? I mean, you're only safe here in Amity Park, so you'll have to live somewhere in the city." Dani frowned, and shrugged, shooting discrete glances to her right. Jack gave his daughter a shocked look.

"What are you talking about, Jazzy-pants! She'll stay with us!" Jack beamed over at the girl. Maddie's eyes creased for a second, then she relaxed into an accepting smile.

"Yes, dear. Of course you'll stay with us. You're family." At that last, Dani looked back at Danny's parents, a joy-filled grin on her face.

"You mean it?" Smiling despite their confustion, Jack and Maddie both nodded. Jazz thought for a moment, then grinned. Dani just sat back and took it all in. "A family. Wow. I was sort of hoping you'd ask; I just didn't want to say anything." Dani fished around in her pocket and pulled out some weathered but still readable papers. "I saved these from when Vlad sent me undercover to capture Danny. He made them just in case I needed proof that the lies I told were the truth." Eyebrow raised at the irony, Dani laid a birth certificate and some personal records, all fakes, on the table. "They're good, so we can use them now, no problem." Maddie picked up the birth certificated and gave it a brief read.

"Danielle Fenton." Maddie paused and briefly glanced up at the girl, a small smile on her face. "Well that's convenient. Hmm…Jack, do you know any of these people?" Jack looked at the record of her claimed parents and relatives.

"Nope. Only real family on this list is her great-grandfather. But he's been gone for years. Whoever made these knew a lot about our family. According to this, she would be Jazz and Danny's cousin." Jazz perked up.

"Hey, if the parents on that thing aren't real, we can claim they died. No one will wonder why she's staying with us. And we can keep saying she's our cousin; I mean, it's a pretty good cover." Jack and Maddie just nodded. Jazz's eyes widened as other, more immediate thoughts occurred to her. "Hey, why don't we go to the theme park tomorrow, after Dani gets moved in? We can spend today getting her all the stuff she'll need." Jazz grinned, shopping fever bringing a dangerous glow to her eyes. "We'll need to get her some clothes, furniture, accessories, school stuff…" Jazz's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! We need to get her into school! Dani, what grade are you in?" Dani shrugged timidly, a little scared by the look on Jazz's face when shopping came up.

"I don't know. I've never been to school before." Jack and Maddie frowned.

"Okay, sweetie. You'll have to go to school if you stay, but we can figure that out later. We'll test you to find out what grade you should be in. In the meantime," Maddie continued, eyes glowing with a light unnervingly like her daughter's, "we have shopping to do!" Gulping at the look in Mrs. Fenton's face, Dani clutched Danny's hand for dear life as they were quickly herded out of the Nasty Burger and into the RV. Buckling herself into the back seat, Jazz turned to her new cousin.

"So Dani, what stuff do you have already? Just to know what we have to work with." If anything, the shopping induced spark in the girl's eyes had gotten even brigher. Dani looked down at her torn, dirty outfit.

"You're looking at it." Jazz froze mid-fever, embarrassed.

"Oh. Right, uh, sorry." Dani looked up confused.

"What for? You asked, right?" She looked back down at her outfit. "Besides, it's not like I was some helpless, powerless little kid. With my powers, I could have taken anything I wanted." Dani frowned. "But then, I'd be just as bad as Vlad. Given the choice, I'll stick with the rags." Jazz thought for a moment, then beamed.

"They look great on you, Dani." The girl looked up appreciatively and giggled.

"Yeah right. They're disgusting! But hey, that's why we're going shopping." Grinning, the two girls fell into some sort of shopaholic bonding moment, dopey smiles plastered on both their faces. Danny hunched over to the side and moaned. Seeing this, Dani broke off and punched him in the arm.

"Hey!" The girl looked back with a wicked smirk.

"Oh, sorry. _Dad_." Danny shuddered, briefly phasing out, as the two girls did their best to hold in laugher.

"_Please_, Dani. Call me a cousin, too. The dad thing is really creeping me out." After a quick grin, Dani put on an abandoned puppy-dog face.

"Does dis mean you don't wuv me anymo, daddy?" She managed to hold that face for about three seconds before both she and Jazz broke down into hysterics. Pulling herself together, Jazz put on a sad face too and reached an arm around Dani's shoulder. Maddie looked back in the rearview mirror and chuckled as Jazz joined in the fun.

"Don't worry sweety. Auntie Jazz will take care of you. Mean old daddy can't hurt you anymore." Danny glared at his sister, green sparks filling his eyes and lighting up the inside of the RV. Dani just turned around and glared back, eyes equally bright.

"You threatening my cousin? Then bring it, ghost boy." The young girl teased. Grinning, Danny changed to his ghost form and prepared to fly out and start a dogfight with his new cousin.

"Just try me. I'll mop you up when you lose." Danny challenged the young girl playfully as he leapt up into the air. Tensing, Jazz turned on the RV's portable ghost shield just in time for her brother to hit his head.

"Ow!" Danny sat back down and changed back, rubbing his head. "Jeez, Jazz, what was that for? We were just going to have some fun." Jazz shot her brother an exasperated look.

"Four words, Danny. Fifty. Thousand. Dollar. Bounty." Danny visibly paled, and fell back in his seat, groaning. Dani looked over at him, then back at Jazz.

"What?" Sighing, Jazz explained.

"Because of his bad reputation, the mayor put up a bounty on Danny. Until it's lifted, he probably shouldn't use his powers in public."

Maddie paused in the front seat. "That's a good point, Jazz. I hadn't thought about that." The older woman turned around and looked back at her kids. "Danny, your sister's right. Your father and I will do everything we can to set things right, but until the bounty gets dropped, you should stay human." With a brief eye-roll at the strange orders she had to give her children, Maddie turned back forward. Jack nodded his head.

"Your mother's right, son. As totally cool as your powers are, we don't want you getting into trouble." Jazz quirked an eyebrow.

"You don't want him in trouble? Dad, he fights ghosts." Jack laughed.

"He sure does, Jazzy! But using super powerful weapons against evil spirits from another dimension is totally different!" Big grin still on his face, Jack turned forward again. Jazz rolled her eyes.

"Still Danny. Don't use your powers right now unless you need to, okay?"

"But I used them on my date with Sam, and nobody caught me then." Danny argued. "I don't think it's a big deal." Jazz raised her eyebrows.

"Well, that wasn't very smart, Danny. I thought you had more sense than that." Jazz shot her brother a piercing look, a smirk spreading across her face. "Why did you want to show up at Sam's in 'uniform' anyway, Danny?" Danny blushed.

"Look, it's just something I wanted to do. Let's just drop it. I promise not to use my powers in public until the bounty is dropped, okay? Let's just go get Dani some stuff." Nodding, though still smirking at the thought of why Danny wanted to show up in costume for his date, Jazz returned her eyes to the road.

"There's the mall!" Dani shouted a moment later. "I…think. What happened to it?"

"Skulker." Danny said shortly, his eyes flashing again for a moment. The mall lay in ruins before them, construction equipment already being set up. In one of the relatively unharmed parking lots, several tents had been set up, with banners proclaiming what merchandise they had for sale.

"What's with the tents?" Dani asked curiously. Jack looked into the rearview mirror as he shifted into park.

"After the ghost attack, the mall agreed to let the local stores open tents in the parking lot to sell undamaged goods until the building is fixed up."

"I know it's not as good a selection," Maddie added, "but they really need our support right now while they rebuild." Nodding, the Fenton family all shuffled out of the RV and walked together toward the sprawling bazaar of open tents. Jazz practically glowed.

"Yay. Shopping."


	3. Moves

Hey everybody!

Sorry about the slight delay, I had a friend over this weekend, and he hogged the computer. I just found time to check for spelling and grammar problems, and make sure everything in the story fit together right. So I'm posting now.

Welcome back Queen S of Randomness, Diamond Raider, fan-girls2.0, and Epona Harper. I'm VERY glad you guys found this. Thanks to Ummari and Fluff Ghost for reviewing yet again. Ummari, that's just the reaction I was going for, thanks for letting me know I got it. XD Also, I agree that Dani should be taller. I think she's probably actually normal sized anyway, and was drawn that way only to emphasize the age difference between her and an already drawn-too-small Danny. Just some weird artistic thing, I hope…

Shout-outs, done, on with the story.

Peace Out! (hope we find it again)

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 3 – Moves

Four frantic hours later, Maddie and Jazz came floating back into the Fenton home, basking in the afterglow of a successful shopping day. Behind them, Jack Danny and Dani trudged through the door, shaking under several hundred pounds of stuff. Barely managing to lug the vast loads of shop merchandise into the downstairs hall before collapsing under the weight, the three less-than-enthusiastic members of the family turned towards the shopaholics, panting from the effort. Jack turned towards his wife, confusion on his face.

"Okay, Maddie, we've got all the stuff Dani will need." Danny snorted as he leaned heavily against a door jam, panting.

"Ever." Dani managed to giggle despite the exhaustion, then collapsed against the small mountain of stuff. Jack recovered and continued.

"Now, where is she going to stay?" Maddie froze mid-glow.

"Oh. Right." The older woman paused and thought about it. "Well we don't have a guest bedroom. The lab won't work, it's too dangerous, the living room would be too cluttered, we eat in the kitchen, and Danny and Jazz's rooms aren't really big enough for two people all the time." Maddie brightened. "How about the attic?" The others stared.

"The attic?" Jazz asked incredulously. "You're kidding, right? That place is a pit!" Her mother just smiled.

"Oh, sure, it's a little messy _now_. But with a little work, it'll be perfect. The ceiling isn't too low, since we had to extend it when we installed the Op Center, and there's plenty of wiring. And there's a nice window, so there'll be sunlight." Danny sat up a bit, confused.

"But isn't the attic full of all sorts of-" Suddenly, he vanished. "Ah!" Danny quickly reappeared, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry. Slipped. I wanted to look and see if the attic was still full of old parts for your ghost stuff." Danny scratched his neck nervously. "It is. Heh heh. Um, Dani, there's lots of room, so it should work if we clean it up." Dani smiled.

"Cool. I'm gonna go check it out." Without a backward glance, the young girl ran up the stairs, Jazz trailing close behind to show her where the trap door was. Danny's parents looked at their son oddly.

"Uh, Danny?" Maddie said tentatively. "We know we missed a lot, not realizing you were Phantom, but…well, I know I would have noticed something if you were like this all the time." Catching her son's attention, she pressed on. "Today at the Nasty Burger, you hovered and made the table phase out. Then at the mall, you kept dropping the shopping bags. Now you're popping into the attic by accident." Maddie's eyes grew concerned. "What's going on, sweetie?" Danny coughed, and sat back against the same door frame.

"Uh, nothing really. Over the last week, I've been pulling in a lot more energy than usual. I'm just not used to controlling this much, so I'm slipping. I'll get used to it." Jack scratched his head, confused.

"But Danny, why are you pulling in more energy?" Maddie nodded, backing up his father. Danny just shrugged.

"I went to see Clockwork – that blue ghost from before," he elaborated, seeing their confusion. "He said that it's because of what I am. According to him, my ghost powers are from the ectoplasm bonded to my DNA. When I go into my ghost form, it tries to follow the instructions on the DNA to build my body with ectoplasm. It's just; right now my DNA is telling my ghost form to become more powerful. So it is, as fast as it can." Maddie and Jack just nodded, not entirely sure. "Look, it should stop soon. Clockwork said it would, and he's usually right." Maddie frowned, clearly not satisfied with the answer.

"Well your father and I will take some readings later to make sure you're not getting hurt, okay?" Seeing the panicked look on her son's face, Maddie quickly continued. "Don't worry, it won't hurt. We'd never hurt you, sweetie. We'll just test how much energy you have, and how much you use doing various things. But we will be using the lab this time; all of our equipment is down there." Danny just nodded mutely. With that momentarily settled, Danny and his parents quietly went up the stairs to the trap door. Jazz and Dani had left it open behind them, and the fold-out step ladder was sticking out into the hall. Jack looked at it critically.

"If she's going to live up there, we should probably give her a permanent stairway. Something more solid." Dani stuck her head through the ceiling, making Danny's parents jump.

"No way! This thing's cool! I'll have a lot of privacy, and when no one's looking, I can just phase up through the floor." Dani's face turned sour. "Of course, we'll have to clean this place up first." With that, the young ghost girl pulled her head back up, and after a brief laugh, Danny climbed the ladder into the spacious attic, his parents silently bringing up the rear.

Or at least, it would be spacious after they cleared all of the junk out. The attic ran the entire length and width of the house, but the extensive supports for the op center broke it into three separate spaces, with thick beams in the center of the room, and additional supports running toward the outer walls at 120 degree angles. There was already a drop ceiling with fluorescent lights and the floor was tiled, but the walls were unfinished. Dani took a moment to gesture at the walls and shoot Jack a questioning glance. The older man just shrugged.

"We needed lights up here to see and had to cover a lot of exposed wires, and the floor had to be water proof to keep ectoplasm from leaking through, but we didn't need finished walls." Jack's face brightened. "But don't worry, Dani! If we work together, we can have this place looking great in no time. First, we'll have to get all of this stuff down into the parts shed." Jack frowned. "Now we just have to figure out how to get it to fit…"

Grinning at the hunter's pack-rat habits, the rest of the family started picking up the small parts and dropping them into black garbage bags. Except for two or three explosions from still-active parts, the next two hours past quickly and quietly. When they finally settled down for a break, they had cleared all of the junk out of the two other rooms and packed everything into a small pile of garbage bags beside the trap door. Jack looked around at the bags with a contented smile.

"Well, that's that. Now we just have to get this stuff to the garage." Danny hiccupped. He vanished. So did the bags of trash. A second later he reappeared, grinning.

"That was so cool! An accident, but still cool!" The young ghost turned to his confused family, slightly red. "The, uh, trash is in the shed. Mission accomplished." Maddie and Jack smiled back hesitantly.

"Those powers are really handy Danny." Jack said. "We still have time, so if you're up to it, we should get down to the lab and see what makes you tick." Danny gulped, slightly pale.

"Uh…okay, but nothing that electrocutes me, right?" His parent's eyebrows creased for a moment, then Jack looked back up.

"Nope! Well, I don't think so. If you feel anything, feel free to let us know!" And with that, the older, enthusiastic hunter bounded down the folding ladder and downstairs to the lab. Maddie watched him go, then turned back to her very nervous son.

"Don't worry sweetie. Your father and I would never do anything to hurt you. We want to help. Even if we weren't your parents, it would be the least we could do after all the trouble we caused." Frowning slightly, Maddie headed down after her husband, dead set on making sure nothing he planned to use would shock, burn, or explode. Both parents gone, Danny turned towards the girls for support. Jazz smiled over.

"I'm sure it's fine, Danny. Like they said, they'd never intentionally hurt you –"

"Now." Dani cut in. Jazz shot the younger girl a glare.

"Thanks, Dani, that's _really_ helpful." The older girl turned back to her brother. "I know they seem to be taking it well, Danny. Their just not done getting their heads around all of this yet. Give them some time." Jazz smiled. "And letting them test you couldn't hurt." Danny rolled his eyes and phased down through the floor.

"Yes it could." The hybrid mumbled to himself as he descended into the lab. Both of his parents were standing next to the test table they'd used on him when they thought he was crazy. It looked basically the same, so he tentatively laid back on the cold metal surface and waited for instructions. Knowing how dangerous some of this stuff was, he wasn't even going to transform into his ghost half without their say so. At a nearby terminal, Jack and Maddie started pushing buttons. A large flat-ended machine pulled out from the wall and rode over to the table on a track. Jack carefully aimed the device at his son while Maddie calibrated on the computer.

"Um, what's that?" Danny was more than a little nervous, especially after green energy started crackling visibly under the formerly opaque surface. Jack smiled down at him.

"This thing will give us a full body scan, measure energy, concentration, and flow. Of course, it'll work even better now that we can test it on an actual body instead of a puddle of goop like we planned." Beaming in excitement, Jack jogged over to the terminal with his wife.

"Test it?" Danny asked over a loud whirring. Jack called back enthusiasticly.

"Sure son! Couldn't test it wouthout a ghost." Danny groaned.

"You mean you guys haven't caught a ghost since you built this thing?" He asked incredulously. Both parents frowned.

"No Danny, we haven't run into any ghosts. All of the ones we have seen were caught by, well, you." With that, Maddie flipped a large switch and Danny was bathed in green light. The hybrid cringed reflexively, but slowly relaxed when nothing painful happened. Readings filled the screen in front of his parents, and their terminal beeped. His parents poured over the readings for a while, then looked up.

"Well son, it looks like your human body holds a reasonable amount of ecto-energy, and that energy seems to flow better than in a human who is just possessed. Whatever happened to you, it altered your human body on top of giving you a ghost form. Your body seems to be able to handle the flow of energy much better than normal." Danny leaned up from the table and nervously looked across the room.

"Uh, guys? There's something I've wanted to know for a long time now, and if that thing has the answer, I'd like you to tell me. Am…" He hesitated, then took a deep breath and asked. "Am I human?" Both of his parents looked at each other in surprise, then back at their son, who was now staring aimlessly at the ceiling and shivering slightly.

"Of course you're human, Danny." Maddie replied. Jack nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, you've just picked up some cool extras!" Danny flinched slightly, and Maddie glared at her husband. "But underneath, you're still just a regular person." Jack finished quickly. Danny sighed.

"Why would you ask something like that, son?" Maddie asked, concerned. Danny shrugged.

"Ever since the accident, I've been called different things. 'Ghost child,' 'halfa,' 'ghost boy,' 'freak,'" he finished bitterly. "I've never answered back really, because I don't _know_ what I am. Am I a ghost who kept his human body, or am I a human that got a ghost form crazy-glued onto him? Am I neither of those things? Both?" Danny turned desperately to his parents, confused and terrified. "What am I?" Both of his parents frowned, and walked from the terminal over to the table and sat down on the edge.

"Danny. Your father and I are scientists. We know a lot of things, but we don't know everything. You are probably the most unique person in the entire world. But even if your father and I don't know exactly how you do what you do, we do know what you are. You're our son. You're a person. And you're every bit as human as you were before you could fly." With that, Maddie gave her son a quick hug, and both of the older Fentons stepped back from the table, smiling sadly. Danny looked up at them, finally looking calm again, and absently wiped his face.

"Thanks guys. If you say I'm human, I believe you." Leaning back with a quiet sniffle, he turned towards his parents with a smile. "Okay, let's keep going." Nodding, his parents went back over to the computer.

"Alright, now change into your, er, ghost form. Slowly." Jack called out, the machine once again whirring to life. Concentrating, Danny slowly shifted between forms, giving them as much time to collect data as he could. A few seconds later, he was finished, and the machine shut off. His parents read the computer screen.

"This is going to take weeks to study. I've never seen anything like it. Energy started flashing in a single cell, and converted it. The change spread from there in a sort of ripple effect, each change triggering the next in the surrounding cells." Maddie continued reading the information. "Your ghost form seems to be exceptionally stable. Probably because it has something concrete telling it what shape and form it's supposed to have. Regular ghosts don't have that, they have to consciously maintain their forms, and they're more easily disrupted. So it looks like some of your human traits blend over into your ghost form, making it more resilient." Danny looked up, confused.

"I don't understand. Aren't ghosts tougher than humans?" Jack looked over at his son.

"Of course not, Danny. Humans have some edges over ghosts. We're more stable, and even if we're easier to hurt, we're harder to destroy. It looks like your ghost side is tougher _because_ you're still human." Maddie frowned then, reading on.

"And it looks like you're going to stay unique, son. According to these readings, the ectoplasm you were hit with in the accident bonded to your DNA. You already said as much, but these micro-images prove it. However, they hit it in just the right way to attach without damaging it. Your own biochemistry and the settings of the portal would have had to match up _just so_." His mother shook her head.

"The odds of it happening again are very long. Most of the time, I'm pretty sure you'd just be infused with inert energy, and it would bleed out over time instead of becoming part of you. The few times that a bond would form, odds are strongly against it being a good thing. Most of the time, it would either kill you or cause some horrible genetic disease, like Vlad's ecto-acne. Until we finally cured it last year, he had to watch for signs of recurrence his entire life, and he was barred from donating blood because it would cause a breakout in whoever received it." Danny had long since gone pale at the mention of death and horrible disease.

"Umm, mom? I don't have some sort of disease, right?" Jack looked up and shook his head.

"Nope, son, we checked where the ecto-energy hit, and it didn't do any damage. You're very lucky." He frowned slightly. "And it looks like we won't be able to develop any technology from the accident. Too dangerous." Maddie looked over at her son.

"Danny, your father and I are so sorry that you were exposed to these risks. We never should have let you and Jazz near the portal until it was up and running safely. You'd think after Vlad's accident we'd have known better." She came over and put a hand on her son's arm. "Even if everything turned out alright, it wasn't right to take that kind of risk." Danny looked up at his mother's stricken face and smiled softly.

"Don't worry about it mom. Like you said, everthing turned out for the best." His mother nodded quietly.

"Well, your father and I have a lot of data to work with, so we'll stop for now. We've learned a lot already about what you can do, but it will take weeks to actually understand how and why you can do it." Maddie got back up and helped Danny to his feet. "You go have fun with Dani and Jazz. Your father and I will analyze your transformation data first to see if we can find a way to help your…cousin."

Smiling at the thought of Dani being stabilized, Danny jogged back upstairs and into the attic. Jazz and Dani had already brought most of the shopping bags up and had filled one of the other rooms with her bedroom stuff. Hearing him approach, Jazz looked up from a crouched position and stopped putting the bed frame together.

"Well it's about time. I'm almost done with the bed, want to go put the dresser together?" Danny looked around.

"This should make a nice bedroom, but what's Dani going to do about the walls?" At this, Dani phased up through the floor, holding another shopping bag.

"Well, the walls along the edge of the house are already covered with plywood, so I'll probably just get some paint and give them some color. As for the support beams, I think I'll put up fabric between them to make a sort of tent wall. It'll be cool." Grinning, Dani put down the rest of her stuff and helped Danny with the dresser.

Several hours later, two tired teens left the newest addition to the family sleeping contentedly in her new room, and went downstairs. Tomorrow they were going to the park.


	4. Dates

Okay, Good Morning!

Waited up last night a bit, but…sleep is good. So, here I am, late, but enthusiastic. This chapter's mostly a fun day at the fair sort of thing. I figured after everything in complications, I owed it to Danny to give him a good day before I totally destroy everything again. Besides, Val had to meet Dani, clear things up with Danny and his friends, work out the whole Huntress thing with Jack and Maddie, and express her opinion of Phantom. Also, Tucker and Valerie deserved some romance, since THEY didn't get their date! Just know, they're not as fast as they seem at first. That's brought up later, just know that now so you don't freak out too much. Mostly just fluff humor and Danny plushies. It's just one of those Phantom products that couldn't fail to make the ghost boy red. Had to do it. XD

Okay, Reviewers! You rock! Thanks to Queen S, Epona, Idiots Unite, Leah (thanks for pointing out yet ANOTHER homophone error. Stupid wordisms), fan-girls2.0, Fluff Ghost, and the delightfully verbose Esme.

Special welcome to newcomers Horselvr4evr (you're back! Yay!), bloombaby26, and NCphantom. Hope you all like this!

Hope you like it. It's a loooooong chapter. :D

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 4 – Dates

Danny opened his eyes the next morning to find a white-haired, green-eyed ghost girl hovering two inches from his face.

"Whoa!" The young ghost reflexively phased through his bed. "Hey!" Danny glared up at the intruder. "Do you mind, Dani? I'm trying to sleep here." The girl chuckled.

"Come on, cuz, I've been up for like an hour already. Everyone else is awake, too." The older boy quirked an eyebrow. "What? You forgot? We're going to the amusement park! Sam and Tucker are coming, too." Grinning, Danielle floated down and changed back into her human form. "This is the second time I came in here to try and wake you up. You know, as weird as it is, I can understand you floating around the room, but the drooling thing is just gross." Laughing, Dani dodged a pillow coated in said drool, and hurried from the room before Danny could reload.

Grinning in spite of himself, Danny hurried to grab a change of clothes and took a quick shower. He made it downstairs just as the doorbell rang. A minute later, Sam came walking into the kitchen, talking with Danielle.

"I know. That drooling thing is disgusting. And when he's dreaming, he'll kick with one leg like a dog does. Tucker has videos." Ignoring the playful glare from Danny, Sam calmly walked over to the toaster and pulled out some jelly while Dani dissolved into laughter. Jazz smirked from across the table.

"Don't worry Danny. Sam's probably just upset you were still asleep when we called, and couldn't go pick her up in _uniform_." Sam and Danny both turned a brilliant shade of red. Rushing away from the toaster, Sam got a very embarrassed Danny into a decent headlock before he could even begin to react.

"What have you been telling her?" Choking down a mouthful of cereal and gasping for breath, Danny desperately tried to make her let go, ghost powers temporarily forgotten.

"Nothing…Sam…can't…breathe." Sam relaxed her grip slightly, still suspicious. Jazz quirked an eyebrow, her smirk only growing.

"So there's something to tell, huh?" Going from red to pale in about two seconds, Sam quickly sat down and clammed up. Tucker took the opportunity to walk into the kitchen, grab a glass of milk, and sit down.

"What's going on Sam? You look like you've seen a ghost." Danny groaned at the horrible joke, and Tucker quickly turned serious.

"Look dude. Sam told me what was going on Friday. Since we're going to the park, I'm guessing it worked out. But come on. Details!" Tucker turned his full attention to his best friend. Danny smiled.

"Everything's fine, Tuck. They both know my secret, and they understand why I didn't tell them before. I think they're still getting used to it though." Tucker and Sam looked ready to ask questions, but both of them suddenly froze. Seeming to realize something for the first time, Sam turned towards Danielle.

"Umm, why is she here?" Jazz smiled.

"Dani showed up the other day. Since Vlad can't pop in, she's safe here, so she'll be staying with us." Danny's two friends' eyes bugged out slightly.

"What? You mean your parents found out about your powers and your clone _on the same day_?" Tucker shook his head. "And they still want to go to the park? Dude, I've said it before, but those two are seriously weird. I don't know any other parents who would see paranormal super powers and clones as reasonable surprises." Danny nodded.

"Well, they actually learned about my powers on Friday and Dani on Saturday. So, there was some time in between." Sam and Tucker just shook their heads. "It's not like I meant for things to happen like this. One shock was enough, you know? And I haven't even told them everything yet." Dani looked over at Sam and Tucker nervously.

"Um, guys? No hard feelings for the whole 'evil plot' thing, right? I really didn't know any better, and I'm sorry." The two looked back and forth from the nervous young girl to each other, then smiled.

"Fine, Dani. We forgive you. Just don't throw any more food at us, okay?" Grinning, Dani nodded and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Hey, that's mine!" Dani flushed, and tossed the toast over to Sam and put in some fresh bread. The group continued chatting aimlessly for a few minutes until Jack and Maddie came down the stairs. Jack looked around at them all and beamed.

"Hey kids! Ready for a great day at the amusement park?"

After a quick mug of coffee, the Fenton parents led everyone out into the RV. Danny Sam and Tucker all took the middle seat, and Jazz and Dani shared the rear. After everyone was buckled in, the engine roared to life and Jack floored it. Hanging on for dear life, Danny quickly filled Sam and Tucker in on everything that happened after he got back from his date with Sam, Jazz and Danielle filling in any blanks.

After twenty minutes that were almost definitely more thrilling than any ride at the park, the RV slowed to a stop, and everyone but Jack hurried to escape the death trap, grateful to be alive. Jack stepped out calmly, having driven quite safely by his standards, and locked up. He then led the procession of still shaking passengers over to the park entrance and they all bought their admission tickets. The family walked in past the carousel and standard quiet rides near the entrance and headed towards the more interesting thrill rides in the back. After a moment, Maddie fell back and grabbed Danny by the arm. After they were out of easy earshot, she turned towards her son. Danny gave a start when he saw the dark circles under her eyes. Noting his reaction, Maddie smiled slightly.

"I didn't get much sleep last night. I was thinking about something. Actually, a lot of somethings." His mother frowned. "First, I remembered that while you had ghost powers, you didn't use them when we went on the DALV trip." Danny paled. "And as truly sorry as I am about the Specter Deflector incident," Maddie continued, looking pained, "I remember that when I snapped it on your waist, you weren't effected. It was like you had been rendered powerless somehow. And then I remembered how the Wisconsin Ghost had somehow rendered you powerless before your big fight Fiday. There were just so many obvious connections, I was up all night just finding new ones every second. Vlad." Maddie chuckled humorlessly. "It really wasn't creative, was it? Vlad Masters is Vlad Plasmius." It wasn't a question. Danny remained silent. Noting this, Maddie turned towards her son. "Danny, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I don't think it will do any harm now." Danny just sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Yeah, you're right. Vlad got the ecto-acne _and_ ghost powers. Since then, he's been trying to kill dad and steal you. Lately he's been trying to get me, too." Danny turned towards his mother. "Please, just don't tell dad yet. I wanted to tell you guys, I just thought it would be a bit too much at once." Maddie smiled sadly.

"For Jack, it would. I've always known Vlad was a creep. Besides the ghost powers, it isn't really that surprising. I got over most of the shock last night, anyway. I suppose your confession was harder, since it was a new idea." Maddie reached over and kissed him. "Thank you for trusting me, Danny. When I think he's ready, I'll help you tell Jack." With that, Mrs. Fenton pulled herself together and walked briskly back up to her husband. Sighing to himself, Danny quietly rejoined his friends, trying to lift his mood.

"Tucker!" Everyone stopped and looked over towards the carousel. Valery Grey jumped off of the still moving white horse and jogged over to her boyfriend. Danny shot Tucker a smile, feeling better already, if a bit bemused.

"Wow, you and her just happening to come to the park on the same day. What an incredibly well-planned coincidence." Tucker just grinned and shrugged.

"So I made a call before I came over this morning." Sam raised an eyebrow and shot Valerie a look.

"How'd you beat us here anyway? I mean, Mr. Fenton doesn't exactly drive slow." Valerie just smirked, and mimed clicking her heals together. The older Fentons frowned.

"Young lady, we've been a bit…preoccupied, but have you told your father about what you've been doing? If not, we're calling him right now." Valerie frowned, and nodded.

"Yeah, I did. He just about hit the roof, but…" the girl bit her lip. "After a while, he calmed down and started to accept it. Besides," she continued, "it's not like we can take the suit off. My new one is built into my body. And I think maybe he's proud, too. Ghost hunting…it's a part of who I am now, and I wouldn't give it up for anything." Frowning, Jack and Maddie looked back and forth between Valerie and her son, then nodded, relaxing slightly. Not willing to risk their son's secret by asking more, the two led the way to the first thrill ride they could find, a new roller coaster. The thing had a huge freefall, corkscrews and loops, and it was painted pitch black. Weaving around it was another track, vivid red. Next to the entrance, the sign rested, painted bright white against a black plaque.

"The Phantom…" Maddie threw a casual glance over her shoulder to see her son staring at the ride, open-mouthed.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." Danny half-moaned as he looked at the giant ride. Sam and Tucker were too busy holding in laughter to respond. Jazz just rolled her eyes. Dani looked over at her cousin, smirking.

"At least it's not called 'The Inviso-Bill.'" The older ghost turned and glared at her, to which she simply stuck out her tongue. Valerie looked at the ride and scowled. Noticing her reaction, Danny wilted slightly, and turned to her with what he hoped was a casual expression.

"So, uh, Valerie. Mom and dad told me what happened last week. What, er, what's going on between you and Phantom?" Valerie turned towards Danny and glared.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Fenton, asking me that." She turned towards Tucker with an equally vicious look. "You, too. All that time, you knew what I was doing, and didn't say anything. And now you want _me_ to talk to _you_?" Tucker returned the glare.

"You're one to talk, Val. First you date Danny, then you start going out with me, but you never trusted us enough to tell us anything. If you think us asking you stuff is unfair, try and remember that you started the whole secret thing." Danny flushed guiltily at that small lie, but didn't interrupt. Valerie's expression softened, and she deflated a bit.

"Okay, okay. Look, I'm not sure _what_ to think. That ghost's been nothing but trouble for me for a really long time, and I'm still mad at him. But if he's the 'good guy,' what does that make me, huh?" Valerie turned her eyes to the others, getting no response but an awkward silence. "I'm just gonna need some time to think things over. Tell you what. When I figure things out, you guys will be the first to know." At the head of the line, the Fenton parents stopped listening in and relaxed further. Valerie's audience did the same, Dani actually grinning. Seeming to really notice her for the first time, Val turned towards the other girl.

"And who are you, anyway? You look a lot like Danny. Are you a cousin of his?" The young ghost girl nodded.

"Yep. I'm his cousin Danielle. Call me Dani." Valerie blinked at that. "I know, same name, look a lot alike. I get that all the time." Danielle fixed on what she hoped was a sad expression. "I'm living with him now, since my parents died. Some creepy vampire ghost did it." Danny blinked at that one. Valerie looked shocked.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. I saw that ghost fight Phantom two days ago. I guess he really did save the town." Her expression softened further. "Look, if you ever need to talk, let me know. I know you don't know me very well yet, but I'd like that to change. I lost my mom a few years ago; maybe I can help you through this. You know, make it a little easier for you." That said, the older girl turned back around and walked towards the entrance line, noticing a separate path to the red coaster for the first time. "Oh for the love of-" Everyone's looks went from serious back to grins in an instant.

"The Red Huntress. Huh, imagine that." Danny said, grinning. Still red, Valerie turned to retort.

"Yeah, well, it looks like a lot more fun to ride than 'The Phantom.'" Danny scoffed humorously.

"No way, 'Phantom' is way cooler." At the back of the line, Jazz and Sam grinned at each other and Dani smacked herself on the forehead. Valerie snorted in fake irritation.

"Fine, there's only one fair way to judge. We'll have to ride both of them." Danny grinned, secretly glad Val didn't know yet. That argument might have gotten physical.

"Okay, but try to give 'Phantom' a fair chance." With that, he tore off on the path to 'The Phantom,' everyone else hurrying to keep up. At the top of the ride, they all stared at the setup of the ride. An assistant came over to help them into their harnesses.

"Welcome. First timers?" After seeing them nod mutely, he grinned. "Phantom is a suspended coaster. When we decided to build it after the Pariah Dark incident, we designed it to feel as much like you're actually flying through the air as possible." The young man smiled. "Since we weren't sure what sides either of them was on, we built Red Huntress at the same time, so it looks like the two rides are fighting each other midair. Have you read that one yet?" Everyone shook their heads. The man chuckled. "Oh, you'll like that one, too. It's one of a kind." Valerie shot everyone a superior smile as the assistant helped her into her harness beside Tucker.

"Of course, so's Phantom." Her grin dropped. "The track's rigged special." Everyone looked at him questioningly. "Well, Phantom always flies away after the Huntress shows up, so we made the ride mimic that. You'll see…" He finished cryptically as he loaded Danny and Sam into the rear harnesses and went over to start the ride. Jack threw his hands in the air and whooped as they jerked to a start and climbed a tall starter hill. Maddie turned towards her husband.

"Jack, did you notice that the way the track is designed…" Jack held up his hand.

"Already saw, Maddie. Don't ruin the surprise for the kids, though!" Laughing, the two got ready for the ride of their lives. In the back, Danny trudged along with a bored look on his face. Sam quirked an eyebrow.

"What's up, Danny?" Her co-rider just sighed.

"Nothing, Sam. It's just…well…I've actually flown. How's this supposed to come close?" Just then, the ride tipped over the top of the hill and rocketed down into a steep corkscrew, and Sam instinctively grabbed his hand as she screamed. With a suddenly much better opinion of the ride, Danny joined in the yelling and leaned back to enjoy the show, and the grip on his wrist.

The ride pulled up out of the tight corkscrew into a loop. The riders finally glimpsed the car for the Red Huntress, looping upside down through the Phantom, and the two rides started a mock dogfight, looping and twisting through the air at ridiculous speeds. Suddenly, Phantom's track seemed to just…end. Every rider on Phantom screamed as they pulled a sharp left, and reconnected with the track they'd just come in on. As the Huntress pulled away, their car went through the entire ride again the other way, cresting the steep hill and rushing through the loading area and out the other side, rocketing into a second series of loops and meeting up with Huntress yet again. After a second dogfight, their car once again looped back, and finally came to rest in the loading area, facing the same direction it did when they got on.

Panting with excitement from the insane ride, the Fentons and their friends waited as the assistant let them out of their harnesses. Tucker let out a whoop as they all headed down the exit ramp.

"That was awesome! No _way_ can Huntress top that! Ow!" Valerie jabbed him in the ribs, but seemed to be smirking.

"We'll see about that." Tucker grinned back.

"Want to try and influence the judge?" Smirking, the two ran off ahead of the rest and past two thankfully oblivious chaperones to spend their time waiting at the Huntress, among other things. Chuckling, the rest of the group wandered with the two adults out the exit.

"Hi!" Danny turned towards the call and stared at the booth across the way from the ride's exit. It sold nothing but Phantom merchandise. And the person making the sales was none other than –

"Susie?" The older girl grimaced.

"It's _Stephanie_. But points for being close, since I never told you my name. You must be good at remembering nametags." Danny frowned.

"But I-" He froze. He had heard her name, but as _Phantom_. "Oh, yeah. Well, I guess my memory isn't perfect." Danny walked over to the booth, friends and family in tow. "What are you doing here?" The Stephanie grimaced.

"When that giant fighting robot destroyed the mall, trying to discredit Phantom, our store was totally trashed. Luckily, instead of losing my job, I got transferred here." The lady grinned brightly. "This theme park thing is more my style anyway. I only like Hot Story for the 'Invading MIZ' videos, most of that stuff is just too dark for my tastes." Her eyes widened. "Hey! Any of you guys want a Phantom T-shirt? Even Phantom has one, gave it to him myself!" Shooting a teasing glare at a blushing boyfriend, Sam shook her head.

"Sorry, already bought three." Danny stared for a second at that. Sam just shrugged, slightly red. Jack stepped forward and smiled down at the slightly intimidated woman.

"I'll take four. One for me, size XXX, X, XL. One for my wife, Maddie, size M. And two for my niece Danielle and daughter Jazz, S. Slightly flabbergasted, the nice lady rooted through her stock for a very large shirt, and actually managed to find one. The others were easy. Quickly paying for the shirts, Jack passed them out and turned back to the smiling woman.

"If you're interested we also have Phantom hats, Phantom action figures, Phantom plushies…" Suddenly losing his grip, Danny focused and managed to get away with just teleporting his shoe away. A moment of focus to bring it back, and he bent over to put it back on his foot. Jack quickly bought an action figure for himself, and Jazz bought herself a plushy. Danny's glare at his sister turned into a very red-faced smile when Sam declined to buy one, saying she already owned twelve. Chuckling at the two, Jack and Maddie led the way to Huntress, pulling the t-shirts over their heads and making Danny even more embarrassed. Reaching the top, they found Valerie leaning back against the rail examining her fingernails and Tucker staring off into space, looking dazed but happy.

"Sorry we're a little late, Tuck. There was this booth and-" Tucker held up a hand.

"No dude. It's cool, trust me." Valerie smirked, her judge successfully prejudiced. With nothing else to say, the family boarded the Huntress to experience the other side of the ride. The 'seats' appeared to be a harnessed version of the flying jet board Valerie used, with buckles for the feet and chest. The ride didn't loop like Phantom, but it did fly upside down above it for a while, and had three drops instead of just two. In the end, Dani Jazz Tucker and Valerie voted Huntress best, and tied against Danny Sam Maddie and Jack. Satisfied, they left the ride and stopped by the mandatory Huntress merchandise booth, where Valerie and Jack both bought action figures. Maddie shot Jack a look at this, but the older man just shrugged. That settled, everyone took off towards the food court. On the way, they passed a house of glass and mirrors. Grinning, Dani led the way inside.

Ten minutes later, she came waltzing out grinning, as everyone else except Danny brought up the rear, rubbing their faces. Catching up to his clone, Danny grabbed her arm and hissed in her ear.

"Are you nuts? Val doesn't know about me yet. And there were who knows how many other people in there. I know cheating with your powers was fun, but you could have given us away." Dani snorted.

"I'm not stupid. I didn't do anything when she was looking." The girl grinned. "Besides, it was priceless! Phasing through the glass panes and watching Tucker walk right into them, thinking it was a path!" Chuckling despite himself, Danny nodded. Dani shot him a look. "Besides, I saw you pull a few stunts in there, too. Don't think I didn't notice you create that double of yourself in the mirror maze area to throw people off even more, and how you phased through when you couldn't find the path. If we're both careful, who cares?" Sighing in defeat, Danny let it drop.

"At least nobody seemed to catch us. I wonder why Valerie took so long." Dani grinned.

"Well, I could only prank Tucker for the first part of the maze. After that, he fell back for some reason, and he and Valerie slowed _way_ down." Shaking his head, Danny fell back and shot Tucker a look.

"And you said _Sam_ was fast?" His friend just shrugged.

"Hey, _we_ missed our date on Friday. Besides, we just kissed and held hands. We're not _that_ fast, Danny. So there." Tucker frowned. "And what's up with Dani leading me through plate glass?" Danny just grinned. With nothing else to say, went over to Sam and the two walked along together, hand in hand. The family went on to the food court, only stopping for the occasional game of skill. It was going to be an awesome day.


	5. Roles

Hi!

It's late. Or early. Whatever. I'm up, and I'm off page one, so I'm updating now. I'm not sure if it's a trend, but so far my chapters have been longer than last time.

Thank you to all awesome reviewers! Welcome BarnOwl23, AirGirl Phantom, and Bunny Bubble. Glad to see some new faces, or pennames, or whatever. Thanks to all repeat reviewers, I hope I continue hearing from you. It means the world to me.

Special shout to Epona, who pointed out a MAJOR mistake on my part in a previous chapter. The problem has been fixed, and I no longer need to worry about looking like a complete idiot. Thank you sooo much!

Alright, fair warning. Last chapter was light and happy, but that was counter-weight. I just like making characters miserable too much to carry on like that. So this chapter is pretty heavy. And this is where the problems really start. Long setup, but it's finally time to make all the little characters suffer. Muahahaha!

Hope you like it!

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 5 – Roles

Danny fell back on his bed and looked at the shadows the afternoon sun threw against his walls. It had been one of the best days of his life. Giving Sam that stuffed bat - not an easy prize to find - after winning a ghost shooting game. Sam shoving it back into his arms, only to win it from him fair and square in a rematch. Well, maybe not entirely fair, but she didn't need to know he missed on purpose. Then when they rode the Ferris wheel and it stopped them at the top…Danny grinned at the memory. He'd have to remember to thank Dani for overshadowing the controller and fixing that one for him. Come to think of it, she'd been pretty aloof after they visited that caricature guy. Scratching his head at that, Danny walked down the hall and knocked on the trap door. A moment later, he heard a muffled "come in," and phased up into Dani's bedroom.

Dani had really made the attic her own. The walls still weren't painted, but she'd hung some basic pictures. Two matching lava lamps, white lava in black liquid, glowed on either side of her bed. Looking around, Danny noticed several unused nails. He remembered helping Dani hang pictures of space and rockets on the wall. Those pictures seemed to have vanished. The young ghost girl was laying face-down on her bed. Curious and a little concerned, Danny came over and sat down.

"What's up, Dani?" The girl turned on her side and faced him. Danny gave a small start when he saw how completely miserable she looked. "Dani?"

"It's funny." The girl said quietly. "I was having the best day. A blast. I've never had that much fun before. Then I decided to go to that artist guy for kicks." The ghost girl fished out a paper from under her pillow. "Today's drawing topic was 'what you'd look like as a boy.' Or girl, I guess. I suppose it depends." Looking away from the crinkled, tear-stained paper, the young girl held it up for the older boy's inspection. Danny hesitantly reached out his hand and took the drawing, turning it over. It looked like him.

"Surprised?" Dani asked bitterly, with a humorless half-chuckle. "Believe it or not, I was, though I shouldn't have been. The guy hadn't even seen you. You could tell when he looked up and gave a start; he drew this without looking at you once." Danny returned the caricature to the distraught girl, trying very hard to keep his voice calm.

"Well, we do look a lot alike, Dani." At this the ghost girl grimaced.

"You know, I almost wish I didn't hate Danielle so much. But that's what Vlad calls me. I couldn't stand being called that. At the same time, though, at least our _names_ would sound different, even if we look the same." Danny quirked an eyebrow.

"You're a girl, Dani. We don't look exactly the same. You don't like the way you look?" Dani snapped her eyes up, and Danny gave an involuntary start at the anger that flared up for a moment in the young girl's eyes.

"I don't want to look like you! I'm supposed to be my own person, but how am I supposed to feel like one if every look at a mirror reminds me I'm a clone? Some puddle of goop Vlad molded into your shape! Worse, I wasn't supposed to be a girl, so I'm a _failed _clone." The young girl's eyes watered up again. "I even like the same things you like, hate the same things you hate. Am I even a real person? Or just some stupid copy Vlad made so he could have _you_?" Dani's eyes fell back to the floor. "What am I?" She whispered, almost to herself. Danny's eyes widened in shock as he recalled asking his parents the exact same question yesterday. Not really sure what to do, he awkwardly put a hand on the poor girl's shoulder.

"Look Dani. I'm not really good at the whole psycho mumbo jumbo stuff. That's Jazz. But if you want, I'll try to help you through this." Not even looking up, Dani gave a slight nod, sniffling slightly. Danny sighed.

"Yeah, I know we're a lot alike, and I know that we share the same DNA, or whatever. But, people who look and act completely different have almost the same DNA. The differences are always small, even if they look big sometimes." The older boy scratched his head, trying to think of things to say. "Um, even identical twins act differently. They might like a lot of the same stuff, and look the same, but they're different people." Danny's expression softened as he looked down at the sad confused little girl. "I don't know how Vlad made you the way you are. But I do know you're a person, Dani. You always have been. You're just as much a person as I am." Finally, Danielle looked up at him, and the next second, she'd buried her face in the front of his shirt as she pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Thank you." She whispered quietly into his chest as he sat their, patting her back and trying to breathe. "You really care, not like Vlad." Danny shifted awkwardly on the bed, looking around for a change of subject.

"Err, it looks like you took down the space pictures." He said lamely. Dani just sighed, still attached to his waist.

"Yeah. Sorry. It's just…space is something _you_ like. I like it too, but…I mean…I couldn't deal with liking the same stuff as you when I got back up here." Danny just nodded quietly, eyebrows creased slightly. Surprisingly, Dani continued. "I did think of you as a dad a lot, you know." Danny tensed. Finally, the ghost girl let go and sat back, looking hesitant. "I'm sorry if that makes you feel weird, it does for me, too. I thought you should know." Danny just nodded mutely.

"Why'd you think like that?" He finally croaked out. Dani flushed slightly, and then looked down, tracing invisible patterns on her comforter with her finger.

"It's hard to explain." She said quietly. "I guess…after I started running, every kid I ran into had parents. A mom and a dad, or just one, or maybe a grandparent or an aunt or uncle." Dani's voice grew even quieter. "I didn't have anyone. Vlad created me, but he didn't want me. He wanted to kill me. Parents are supposed to love their children." The girl looked up into the uncomfortable boy's eyes. "You were the only person in the whole world who'd ever…cared about me." A few tears fell from the girl's eyes and dropped onto her blanket. "I know you didn't know he was making me, and he just used you for the DNA, but I just thought that might…count for something." Dani' face crumpled slightly, and the older boy was shocked that he'd never realized just how lonely she was. If you looked, you could see it in her quiet, sad eyes, in her posture, even when she smiled. She'd been completely on her own without anyone to care for her for practically her entire life. Somehow, he just hadn't noticed how alone she felt. "Besides, the only other…_things_…like me in the whole world were Vlad, and you. Vlad's _evil_, Danny. I don't want to be like him. I needed someone to look up to." She finished quietly, returning her gaze to her sheets. Not really knowing what he was doing, Danny reached over and held the miserable little girl, wanting to do everything in his power to make her feel better.

"Dani. I may just think of myself as a cousin, and I hope you can live with that, but I _do_ care. Never doubt that. I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" Danny cupped a hand under the girl's chin and lifted her face so he could look into her lonely, running eyes. "You're not alone anymore, Dani, and you're definitely not a _thing_. Vlad will never hurt you again." Nodding, Dani sniffled, and tried to smile, despite the slightly runny nose. A strange look crossed her face, and the girl sneezed. The whole bed phased for a second, and both kids fell on their butts. At this, Dani suddenly giggled wetly, despite the tears, and started cheering up.

"Want to help me re-hang some pictures…cuz?" Danny smiled down at her.

"Sure."

Jazz woke up extra early Monday morning, grabbing every spare second to finish her second draft for her Advanced Psych essay. Sure, it wasn't due for two more weeks, but this way she could run it by Mr. Trona and get it back in a few days with some helpful hints to further improve her work. Walking downstairs to brew herself some morning tea, Jazz was surprised to see her mother already sitting at the kitchen table, a half-empty coffee pot on the warmer.

"Mom?" Maddie gave a brief start at the unexpected noise, and looked up from her mug to see her daughter sit down at the table. Jazz gasped as she saw the dark circles under her mother's eyes. Mrs. Fenton gave a hollow smile the fell well short of her eyes.

"Haven't been sleeping well lately. I've had a lot to think about." Trying to hide her concern behind an encouraging smile, Jazz went to work, applying her well-practiced mind to the problem in the same way she approached her brother.

"It is a lot to take in. Want to talk it out mom? It's nothing I haven't heard already." Maddie grimaced slightly, and Jazz mentally berated herself for dragging her greater understanding of Danny into this, even if she had meant to make her mother more comfortable. "Come on, mom. I want to know." Maddie smiled.

"You're very good at this, you know. You'll make a wonderful Psychiatrist someday." Seeing that her daughter wasn't taking a compliment for an answer, the older woman sighed and looked back down at her mug. "To be honest, I haven't slept since Danny told us. I've been lying awake in bed, thinking about all the signs, all the things I missed, and how obvious it all seems. Coffee and makeup have helped, but I'm just so _tired_. Your father was just as sleepless and confused as I was the first night, but after that…" Maddie smiled softly. "He was always better at adapting. I suppose it's one of the reasons I love him so much. He's always so happy, so confident that everything will work out. As brilliant as he is, there's a sort of innocence to Jack. And as glad as I am that he's been able to hold onto it," she said with a sigh, "I still wish I didn't have to go through all of this guilt and doubt alone." Jazz smiled sadly, and reached out a comforting hand.

"You're not alone, mom. Maybe you should talk to Danny about this after school. I know he's already talked with you about why he didn't say anything, and he's told you how he understands why you did what you did. But still, I think maybe there are some things you want to tell him, or want him to tell you, to help clear the air. And it won't happen until you try." Maddie nodded, and looked up, her eyes haunted and full of pain.

"I know about Vlad, Jazz." The younger girl's eyes widened at that, but she furiously clamped down on any reactions and tried to maintain a calm, professional demeanor.

"Does dad know, too?" Her mother shook her head, working equally hard to maintain her self-control.

"I already told Danny that I know. One of the benefits of being awake all night, I suppose. You have plenty of time to figure things out. I understand how evil Vlad has become, no matter what he might think of himself. I just remember that in spite of all that, he was our friend once." Maddie let her head sink down, tired and world-weary. "I don't know how I'm supposed to tell Jack. He trusts Vlad so much; I don't know what this will do to him. He's going to be so hurt, Jazz." Her mother sniffled. "But look at me. As good as you are at this; it's not fair for me to bring these problems to you. You're supposed to come to me for support, not the other way around. And Danny. After everything I've put him through already, after all the times I've hurt him and publicly denounced him as a villain, as evil, as a worthless ghost fit only for destruction and dissection. What kind of mother would I be to show him how upset I am, to force him to deal with more problems now that his life might finally be turning back around? What kind of mother would I be to show him that even though I still love him, and want to understand him, I can't understand? That I just can't seem to reconcile the son I love and the ghost I used to hunt, even if I trust him now?" Jazz only tightened her grip on her mother's wrist, causing her to look up again.

"A good mother. You've always been a good mother. Danny and I love you. He never doubted how much you cared about him, even when you were fighting Phantom. He cared about you enough to want a relationship without second-guesses and doubt. He wanted so much for you to trust all of him, so you'd never have your feelings poisoned by questions of whether or not you were just being biased. That's why he waited to tell you, no matter how much harder that was; no matter how much confusion he knew you'd all go through. He trusts you enough to tell you everything about him. Now it's your turn to trust him. Tell him how you feel, and talk to him. Work things out. He'd want to know how upset you are, and he'd want to help you feel better. We both need you in our lives, mom. It's not wrong for you to need us, too." For a while Maddie sat there, nursing her coffee mug in silence.

"Your father is going with you to school today, to have Dani placed and to disable the Ghost Suckers. We're going to do everything in our power to get Danny's good name back." Jazz nodded.

"What are you going to do?" Maddie smiled softly.

"I'm going to explore behind Danny's door." Maddie looked back up. "Besides the research possibilities, I think it might help me understand Danny a little more." Her face showing some shame again, Maddie went back to nursing her coffee. "I've just missed so much. I want to understand my son again, Jazz. And I want to spend some time in a quiet place, alone. I have a lot to think about." With that, Maddie walked off to the lab, to grab a handheld voice recorder and some measuring equipment. A sad smile flickering across her face, Jazz got up and made some tea.

"All buckled up, kids?" Jack asked enthusiastically as he revved the engine in the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle. His question was naturally redundant; the kids were far too familiar with his driving and valued their lives too much to not make that their first priority. After a brief chorus of 'yes' in various forms, the ghost hunter floored it and the four sped off to the school together.

"I know you like to drive yourself, Jazzerinces," Jack said, looking in the rearview mirror at his very pale daughter, "but I'll be at the school all day setting things up for Dani and taking down all those Ghost Suckers. I'll be waiting to pick you and Dani up first thing after school." The older man paused thoughtfully. "You know, I should probably turn all of the Suckers off first thing. Wouldn't want any of you to get melted and slurped up." Grinning, Jack turned away from his pale prisoners/passengers and returned his eyes to the road just in time to swerve away from an oncoming truck. A short heart-stopping trip later and Jack was leading the family up into the school, running ahead and shutting off the Suckers as he went. With no suction to worry about, Jazz hurried off to talk to her Psych teacher before class.

School passed fairly uneventfully and before Danny knew it, it was lunch. Eyeing every Ghost Sucker warily just in case, the ghost boy walked cautiously over to his usual seat. Tucker and Sam were already there, but surprisingly, Valerie was absent. Seeing his friend's questioning look, Tucker shrugged.

"I don't know either, man. I heard she called in sick today." His look darkened. "No way she's sick, I would have caught whatever she had." Seeing his friends' grins, he blushed slightly. "What? It's not like you two don't kiss!" With a brief nod in agreement, Sam and Danny moved the topic back to Valerie.

"So if she's not sick, what's going on?" Tucker just sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know, Danny. She didn't show it as much when all of you were around, but she's really mixed up about you. Or, Phantom, anyway. Maybe she just needed some space. Her dad knows what's been going on now, he probably thought so too." He turned and put on a calm smile. "I'll call her after school and see what's up. Your place?" Tucker asked, shooting a questioning look Danny's way. The ghost boy nodded. Suddenly, their table talk was interrupted by a small cough.

"Um, room for one more?" Smiling, Danny turned and looked at his cousin.

"Dani. Sure, have a seat!" Dani quickly sat beside Tucker and started picking at the mystery meat, a slight grimace on her face.

"So, Dani, what's up?" Sam asked, trying to break the ice. Dani looked back up and smiled.

"Well, it looks like I'll be placed a year ahead, as a freshman. I guess it's a good thing I spent all that time in libraries." Tucker stared over at the girl.

"You actually study? I thought you were supposed to be Danny's clone! Ow!" Tucker reached down and rubbed his shin, after Sam gave him a vicious kick. Dani seemed pleased by the comment, though. Danny was pretty sure he knew why, and silently thanked Tucker for being Tucker.

"Well, it wasn't really to study, but I did that anyway. When you don't have any money, you can't afford a warm house, or even a roof." Dani explained. "But, I figured it wouldn't really be a big deal if I phased into the library after it closed. I mean, its public property, right?" Looking slightly embarrassed, Tucker nodded. Dani smiled. "Don't feel bad about it. Like I told Jazz, with ghost powers you can get anything you want, if you feel like trying. I _chose_ not to steal lots of money or break into people's houses. And I have no regrets." Dani sat back at that, looking very proud of herself. Sam smiled in approval.

"Good for you, Dani. And the studying probably helped, too. You can help Danny in math!" The three sniggered as Danny pretended to glare at his girlfriend. Sam just smiled at him, and laced her fingers through his under the table. Just then, Danielle hiccupped, and the table phased out, dropping their food onto the floor.

"Danny!" Danny sat back, and held his hands up.

"It wasn't me! It was," Danny's eyes widened as they locked on the young ghost girl. "Oh no." Realization dawning in Sam and Tucker's eyes, they stared at Danielle, too.

"What?" She asked, uncomfortable. "I just slipped. It's been happening on and off the last day or so." Sam just groaned. Danny turned to his cousin.

"It's your ghost powers. I just went through this. They're increasing, and you're going to have sudden bursts of energy, and sometimes you're going to lose control." Dani paled.

"Oh no." She repeated quietly. Misunderstanding, Tucker laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Dani. It's perfectly normal. For you guys, anyway. You'll be over it in no time." Dani just shook her head.

"That's not it." She said, still very pale. "I don't mind the control problems. But, unlike Danny, if I use a lot of power…" Sam and Tucker's eyes widened.

"I'll _melt_."


	6. Revelations

Salutations.

Veeeerrrrryyyy sorry that this took so much longer than normal. It's been a bad day…week…month. Let's go with that one. So far I haven't let it faze me, but some stuff came up that distracted me from the story. Even when I had time, I couldn't think about it. Fortunately, I think things might be on the way back up. And since I hate the non-fiction world so much, I'll stop talking about it, and get on with the story. That's why you're here anyway.

Special shouts to everyone who reviewed. It might be the unreasonably long delay, but I've never had so many reviews for an incomplete story's chapter before. Extra special shout to Idiots Unite, who has visited under an alias. So I'm getting two reviewers for the price of one. XD I continue to look forward to hearing from you all.

Here's chapter six, and my sincere hopes that such delays (and what caused them) never EVER happen again.

Later! (But not as much)

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 6 – Revelations

The four friends sat in silence for a long time. Eventually, Danny sat up and decided to start the group working on how to fix things.

"Okay, melting is bad." Dani shot him an incredulous look. Wincing slightly at his gross understatement, Danny hurried to continue. "But, I think I know how to fix it, for now. After school, Dani and I will go grab the Plasmius Maximus and-"

"No way, Danny." Sam interrupted, hand raised in flat denial. "Every time that thing wears off, Dani would give off a surge of energy. And if regular slips could melt her…" She left the rest unsaid. Paling slightly, Danny just gulped and nodded, falling back into silence. Tucker stopped absentmindedly poking at his school-supplied food substitute and raised his head, an idea quickly forming.

"Hey, why not ask your parents for help?" Having caught his friends' undivided attention, he elaborated. "Well, they _do_ have a lab. If Vlad could stabilize that other clone, it has to be possible, so maybe they can stabilize Dani." The ghost girl paused thoughtfully for a moment, and then nodded.

"I guess that could work. But I don't know how Vlad was going to stabilize the clone. Unless we know what he had to do, I don't think that will work." Danny frowned.

"We'll have to get Vlad to tell us how to stabilize you." The ghost boy groaned. "But he's been arrested, or something like that anyway. Clockwork grabbed him after our fight at the docks." Sam smiled.

"So go see Clockwork again. He _likes_ you, Danny." Her boyfriend frowned.

"I guess I have to. But I feel bad about it. I want to be Clockwork's friend, but I only ever visit him when I've got a problem. That has to get on his nerves." Danny gritted his teeth in frustration. "I just wish I could visit him for fun once and awhile." His friends nodded sympathetically, as Tucker spat out a lump of tough, stringy mystery meat.

"You know what I wish, dude? I wish the meat around here was a little fresher. This stuff is gross!" Danny nodded his agreement, but froze as blue mist shot from his mouth. Maniacal laughter filled the cafeteria, as purple smoke spread across the floor.

"So you have wished it. So shall it be!" Danny's eyes narrowed, flashing green.

"Desire'." Without another word, the young ghost flung himself under the table and changed into his ghost form. Up above, the insane genie waved her hands. Throughout the cafeteria, all of the meat suddenly turned into live, panicking animals. Between the terrified students and the stampeding livestock, the cafeteria was in utter chaos before Danny even phased up through the table. With a glare, Dani prepared to copy her older cousin, but he quickly gripped her wrist and firmly placed her back in her seat.

"No way, Dani. You can't risk melting. Don't worry; I can handle her on my own." With that, Danny flew off to face the wishing ghost, leaving a disgruntled clone behind.

"How come he gets to have all the fun?" Sam just shrugged, smiling.

"I don't know. But Tucker sure can wish!" The vegetarian goth looked about with something close to rapture on her face, at all the once-again living animals. Tucker just scowled.

"Yeah, yeah. I wanted to _eat_ them!" Ignoring the now-familiar chaos of the ghost battle, Tucker poked moodily at a side salad he had been required to take, and waited for things to calm down. Sam just sat back and munched contentedly.

Meanwhile, Danny's battle with the wishing ghost was intensifying.

"I don't know if you've heard, Desire', but this town is under my protection now. Get lost!" Danny charged up an ectoblast and fired at the wicked ghost. Chuckling as she dodged, the evil spirit reached out her hand and backhanded the ghost boy, launching him across the room. Knowing she needed cover despite the solid hit, Desire' flew over to his friends and settled behind Tucker, clutching his shoulders with claw-like fingers.

"You really should be careful what you wish for." She whispered into his ear. Tucker shuddered at her clammy touch. Eyes narrow, Dani discretely reached her hand behind her back and blasted Desire' back towards Danny. Smiling, Tucker turned gratefully towards the young ghost girl.

"Thanks for the save!" Dani beamed, but then groaned when she looked down.

"I think that's all I'll be 'saving' today." Tucker followed her gaze, eyes widening when he saw the dripping goo that was once her feet. Noticing his expression, Sam checked under the table and shuddered.

"Danny's right. Melting is bad." Grimacing with effort, Dani watched as her feet slowly reformed.

"Whew. Well, I guess I won't be much help for now, after all. It's weird though, I can usually do more without melting." The girl pursed her lips, and looked over to where she'd blasted Desire'. The two ghosts were once again locked in intense aerial combat. "That blast was pretty strong. Maybe my powers are getting a little unstable." Frowning, Dani watched helplessly as Desire' and Danny pummeled each other.

"Had enough?" Danny asked smugly as he knocked his foe to the floor yet again. That cheap shot earlier had hurt, but he'd recovered much faster than usual. Power boosts, he reflected, were not always such a bad thing. As Desire' tried desperately to recover, the young ghost pulled out his thermos and-

"Ghost!" Danny's eyes shot across the room, where his father had come charging in, holding a small beeping device. The Fenton Ghost Finder. Seeing who it was ahead of him, Jack pulled to a stop and beamed.

"Danny! Oh! Uhh, Phantom! Is there a ghost around?" Jack quickly whipped out the Ghost Gauntlets, energy coursing through the weaponized gloves as the hunter searched for signs of ghostly doom. Confused, Danny turned to look, and saw that Desire' had flown off. The ghost boy smacked his forehead in frustration.

"Darn it! She got away." Checking for witnesses and finding none, Danny floated down and changed back, scowling. Jack cocked an eyebrow.

"So'd you catch it?" Danny shot his dad a frustrated look, and skulked back to his table.

"No." Jack came over, looking a bit hurt. His son just moodily munched a French fry and shooed off a chicken.

"How come?" Jack asked, though he thought he already knew. Danny looked up, hesitant. He was frustrated, but he didn't want to hurt his dad's feelings. Jack frowned. "It's because of me, isn't it?" Danny's eyes widened, and he quickly waved his hands in denial.

"No! No, no, no. Well, yes." Jack's eyes fell, and Danny thought desperately of how to explain without making him feel worse. "It's not really your fault, I just got distracted when you ran in, that's all. She's not really a tough ghost. I'll get her." Jack just sighed.

"Sorry, Danny. It's just a lot harder to fight ghosts when you don't have cool super powers. I know it's probably hard for you, but I just wish you could understand that." Danny nodded, and then froze, eyes wide.

"Oh no." Cackling, Desire' swooped back in and quickly waved her hand. Eyes filled with anger at missing her earlier, Danny quickly rose up his hands and prepared to fly up to get her. Nothing happened.

"What the heck?" Laughing, Desire' looked down at him condescendingly.

"So he has wished it, so shall it be. You are powerless, fool! You shall never stop me again!" Danny paled, then smirked.

"I wish you hadn't granted any wishes today." Eyes wide, Desire' found herself granting this last fatal wish. Light flared as Danny successfully transformed, his yell of triumph only eclipsed by Sam's miserable cry as all of the animals turned back into meat. After a brief look at his thermos, Danny shrugged and put it away.

"I wish you were kicked out of Amity Park!" With a final defeated shriek, Desire' vanished in a puff of smoke. Danny's grin briefly fell. "I have no idea why I didn't just do that in the first place." With a second shrug, Danny returned to his table. Jack's expression was hard to read, but he looked dejected.

"I almost wrecked it again, didn't I?" Danny just shook his head, looking down.

"It's okay, dad. You didn't know she grants wishes. Heck, if _I'd_ been thinking about it, I'd have wished her away when she first showed up." Nodding, Jack backed up and headed out.

"Sure. I'll just go back to Mr. Lancer's office and send the students back in to finish lunch. See you after school, Danny." The friends shared a second awkward silence. Eventually, Dani groaned. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong? Melting again?" Danny seemed startled at this for a second, but calmed down when the girl shook her head.

"No. But couldn't we have just wished me stable a second ago?" Now it was everyone else's turn to groan. Danny smacked his forehead.

"Oh, duh. Well we can't do that now. Besides, Desire' doesn't usually grant wishes the way you want her to." Danny looked up. "Dani, meet me at home when you get off from school. We'll take off for Clockwork's together. Sam, Tuck, we can spend the hour or so before she gets there going over what we'll need to do, and asking mom for help with the whole 'no melting' thing." Everyone nodded, and shuffled out of the lunch room to class.

The rest of the day passed fairly calmly, and before he knew it, Danny was walking home with his two friends. About a block away from his house, Tucker's cell phone rang. Shrugging at the odd ring tone, Tucker flicked his cell open.

"Hello?...Valerie?...Oh, hold on. I'll put you on speaker. Yeah, Danny and Sam are right here." Pushing a few buttons, Tucker held out the phone, and his two friends clustered in.

"Hello?"

"Hey Valerie. You weren't in school today." There was a brief pause on the line.

"I know. Dad let me stay home. I've had a lot to think about. I'm calling cause I said that when I decided about Phantom, you'd be the first to know." Her tone was very serious. Danny, now pale, fought to control his voice.

"And?" The next pause was even longer. Finally, Valerie sighed.

"I've decided that he's not evil." Danny visibly sank with relief, very grateful his former huntress was on the phone. "I'm not sure I can face him yet, or even trust him completely. There's a lot of stuff between us." Tucker snorted quietly. "But it's not fair that the city still thinks he's some horrible…villain, I guess." Sam cocked an eyebrow.

"No, it isn't. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"My suit has a lot of recording equipment. I sent a copy of what that Vlad ghost said at the fight to all of the local news stations, complete with video. I don't know if it'll change anything, but it's the least I can do…I mean, after all the stuff I've done to him." Sam gaped openly at the phone.

"You…you're trying to prove he's good." Tucker and Danny grinned.

"I'm trying to tell the truth. The first airing is in about five minutes. So you're still the first to know. I'm not saying it'll change anything, but people should be able to make up their own minds, after hearing all of the facts. Oh, and I think the Fentons run into Phantom a lot. Could you ask them to tell him what I did? And to tell him…I'm sorry. I still don't really understand him or trust him, or even like him much. But after everything I heard, I can't hate him, and it wouldn't be right for me to hunt him. I want to be one of the good guys. I've always wanted that. But now, I understand that we're on the same side." There was a soft click, and the line went dead. The three friends stayed outside for a few minutes. Then, Danny jumped and let out a loud whoop.

"She doesn't want to kill me! Yes!" Grinning, Danny quickly regained control and forced himself to stop floating. Tucker looked at the phone with a mixture of joy and pride. Sam's smile though seemed a bit strained. Danny cocked an eyebrow.

"Sam? You okay?" The girl just shrugged. A few seconds later, Danny's expression changed from confusion to understanding. He hurried over and draped an arm around her shoulder.

"I didn't just pick you because Valerie wanted to kill me. I like you Sam. Really. Valerie is a good person and a friend, but I want to be with you." Sam smiled in relief, then smirked.

"Hey, I thought you were supposed to be clueless." Danny grinned back.

"Just because I miss some things doesn't mean I'm blind, Sam. Besides, I've known you forever. That may have made me miss how much you…" Danny blushed. "Made me miss how much you liked me, but I understand you better than I understand myself sometimes. It's one of the reasons I like you so much." The two stood there blushing for a moment, then Tucker coughed loudly.

"Sorry to ruin a moment like this, but if you two don't stop with the goo-goo eye routine, we're going to miss the news." Once again back on earth, Sam and Danny led Tucker into the house, and the three jumped onto the couch and turned on the news. A very excited-looking anchorwoman sat at her desk, a DVD in her hand and a small television set up by her side.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Amity Park, today our station received video footage from the Red Huntress. It shows the battle at the docks between Phantom and the mysterious Blue Ghost, now revealed as Vlad Plasmius, aka Wisconsin Ghost." Danny smirked at the second name. If it was the last thing he did, he was going to make sure that Vlad was the one with the stupid name from now on. "The fascinating thing about the footage, however, is that it seems to show that this 'Wisconsin Ghost' was in fact behind all of the ghostly damage to Amity Park over the last week. And, it seems to show that Phantom was in fact only trying to protect us." With a professional flourish, the anchorwoman quickly slid the DVD into a small slot. A moment later, all of the footage from Danny and Vlad's fight, except for the parts where Valerie was revealed, played across the screen. Sam and Tucker watched, looks of horror changing to awe as Danny's last major power surge blasted out, and he proceeded to eject Plasmius from the area. The footage cut off, and returned to the smiling anchorwoman.

"According to amateur interpretations of these two ghosts' dialogue, it appears that Phantom's presence somehow keeps rogue ghosts away from our city. It also appears that he has been working tirelessly to eject any invading spirits that manage to sneak in. The mayor has scheduled a press conference for six tomorrow, to speak on whether or not he shall be dropping the bounty. In the meantime, experts shall be testing the footage for validity and consulting with local ghost experts, Jack and Maddie Fenton. This has been a special announcement. Thank you." A moment later, the screen returned to some show about flower arrangement. Looking vaguely dazed, Danny leaned back.

"Thank you Valerie." He whispered. After a brief moment, he sat back up, all business. "Okay, back to our _other_ problems. We need to find mom and ask her for help with Dani. I just hope she'll have time to do this on top of talking with the press." Nodding, Sam and Tucker looked around.

"So where is she? The lab maybe?" Tucker got up and went over to check. Danny just shrugged for a moment, then froze. An odd expression crossed his face.

"No." He said quietly. "She's upstairs, in my room." Sam quirked an eyebrow.

"Why would she be in your bedroom?" Danny shook his head.

"No, my _other_ room." Eyes widening, Sam went over and brought Tucker back.

"Why would she be in there?" Danny just frowned.

"I don't know. But she's been a bit…off, lately. Like dad." The ghost boy looked up. "You guys wait here for Dad, Dani and Jazz. I'll be back soon." Without waiting for an answer, Danny flew up through the ceiling and walked into his lair. Sam shot Tucker a look.

"I guess we wait." Tucker nodded, and then smirked.

"So what was it that Jazz said about you, Danny, and uniforms?"


	7. Secrets

Hi!

Like I said, I've managed to pick things back up for the moment. Yay! Thank you to all reviewers, and welcome Trumpet-Geek. To those of you who pointed out my spelling error with Desiree, aka Desire', thanks. I thought I had the spelling right, but I should have checked. It honestly didn't occur to me. I'll try to avoid that problem in the future.

That's everything, I think. Again thank you to all reviewers, I hope to hear from you all again.

Smile!

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 7-Secrets

Danny threw himself through his door and frantically jogged through the stone maze of his lair, up down and sideways. It was some time before he finally calmed down and focused. Slowly, following that weird sense he seemed to possess regarding his lair, he walked through his second home with his eyes closed. A few short minutes later, he heard soft breathing coming from up ahead. Opening his eyes, he walked towards the sound, and found himself in the only finished room in his entire lair. Sitting by the full-length window and looking sadly up at the moon, his mother rested, sniffling. Hearing the sound of her son's feet on the stone floor, the desolate woman turned to see her son standing between the two carvings of his greatest fears, moonlight on half his face. She smiled slightly.

"Hi Danny." Her voice was soft and sad. Her tone was different. Usually there was a 'sweetie' or 'honey' involved. Not this time. Just 'Danny.' He smiled sadly in return, and sat down in the stone chair he'd made, rotating it with a thought to face his mother.

"Why did you come here?" His tone was not accusatory, but curious. He honestly had no idea she'd planned to explore in here. Or that she'd find this room. Given the size of the place, the odds of that were very long. Still, somehow she'd found her way to the room that showed his fears and insecurities plainly carved upon the walls. Maddie looked down, frowning.

"I had my reasons. I needed time to think, and something to do while I thought. I wanted to understand the nature of a ghostly lair; I think I told you that before. And," Maddie sighed, "I wanted to understand you, too." Danny's face turned concerned.

"As far as I can tell, you didn't leave any path, and I didn't know you'd be here. How were you planning to get out?" Maddie chuckled quietly.

"I wasn't. I knew you'd find me in here. Jazz and Jack both knew I was coming in here today, so I decided to wait until you came and found me. I have supplies for a few days, I could afford to wait." Now it was Danny's turn to frown.

"I don't understand, mom. Why? Why did you need to be alone? Why not just talk to me?" His mother shuddered slightly, pale and completely exhausted.

"I haven't been sleeping lately." She whispered, almost to herself. "I've been so confused, so guilty. Everything I knew about ghosts is wrong. Everything I knew about Vlad is wrong, or at least it fell short. And worse, everything I knew about _you_ is wrong. I know you keep saying you understand, that you forgive me, that it isn't my fault. But," Maddie looked up. "In a way, it is my fault. I've been trying so hard to help this town, to learn more about how the world works. And in the end, I almost destroyed my own son. Twice." Her voice grew bitter. "Worse, I'd become so obsessed with my research, so blind to the suffering I might be causing, that I drove you away from me. I made you too afraid to tell me the truth, and I caused so much pain. So many lies. You've been trying so hard, and I've only added to your burdens. It wasn't fair to you, it wasn't right. You can forgive me again and again, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't deserve to be forgiven." A single tear trickled down his mother's face. She was absolutely exhausted, mentally and physically drained. Danny stared, shocked that she had hidden this so well.

"How long?" He asked, in a distant voice.

"I haven't slept since you told Jack and me the truth. Every night I try, but every night is worse than the last. Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw something new. Your constant absences, the nervousness. All of those times I threatened to do horrible things to you, and how you just took it, hiding your fear. Then when I went back further, I found the truth about Vlad. It was just so obvious, after I knew about you. Once I knew it was possible to change a human so much, the similarities between you and Vlad just started flashing before my eyes. The accident, the hidden messages when you talked to each other, the occasional slip. And then I started hiding the truth from Jack. How could I tell him such a horrible thing? I know you hate Vlad, Danny. But despite how much I loathe the man he is today, I remember being his friend. We used to be so close, Vlad your father and I. Like you Sam and Tucker are now. But he's changed so much. He's committed so many terrible crimes. He's hurt you; he's tried to kill Jack. It just…hurts. I miss who he used to be." Maddie sighed to herself, and looked back up at the moon.

"This place. It's so beautiful, Danny. It's so much more than a reproduction of the old print. This place is you, Danny. It's a part of you. I felt that the first time I came in here. And that's what I found when I came. Ghost lairs are a part of their creators, an extension of their very selves. Yours is no different. Exploring this place is as close to talking with you as anything can be. But it's so jumbled and confused, and so empty. You're filling it one room at a time, but this is the only real detail I could find. And it's so sad in here. You've been so alone, and I could have helped you if only I'd paid attention." Danny walked over to his mother's side and sat down.

"These carvings; they're what I'm afraid of. Not how I feel. I don't feel that you've abandoned me. I don't think you hate me, or fear me. Even if you don't, or can't understand me, I know how much you care. Don't doubt that." He cocked an eyebrow. "You haven't slept since Thursday night?" Maddie just nodded. "You need to rest, mom." His mother sighed.

"Later. I _want_ to understand you again, Danny. I don't yet, but I think I can. I thought that exploring in here would help me to catch up, but it hasn't, not really. Please talk to me, Danny. I want to understand, to know you again." Danny's expression grew confused.

"I don't understand what you want. You know who I am, and what. What don't you understand?" Maddie shook her head.

"Why?" She said quietly. "I don't understand why. Why did this happen to you? Why didn't you fall like Vlad? Why are you still good, still trying so hard to fit in when it might not even be possible?" Seeing his disbelieving stare, Maddie paled at what she had said. "I'm not disappointed. I'm overjoyed that you're still _you_, Danny. I just don't know why. And I want to know." Danny leaned back, deep in thought. Trying to answer the impossible question, he let his eyes and mind wander. His gaze fell upon the carvings, clearly visible from the window. At all the happiness on the left, and the suffering and pain on the right. Finally, he had an answer. It didn't explain as well as he wanted, but it came closer than anything else he could think of. Lightly touching his mother's arm to get her attention, Danny gestured towards the dark, ghost-filled wall.

"That is what I could become." He said, half terrified. Slowly, he let his arm shift to point at the left wall, full of moonlight and loved ones. "And that. That's why I don't." Maddie's eyes came to rest on the large carving of Sam in the center of the piece. His fear of losing her was very strong, to make such a perfect carving. She smiled.

"You really love her, don't you?" She asked quietly. Danny's face grew confused.

"What?" Maddie repeated his gesture.

"Sam. You love her. Why else would you fear to lose her so much?" Danny just sat in silence for a moment, staring off into space. Finally, he smiled too.

"Yeah, I do. I care about you and Dad and Jazz. And Tucker's like family. Everyone in this town is important to me. But Sam, she's…special." His smile faltered. "I don't think I could survive if I lost you guys." Maddie's eyes grew confused. Danny gulped, and continued.

"I did once." He whispered. "There is a ghost out there that controls time. The way things used to happen, all of you died, and I was alone. It hurt so much, knowing I would never see you again. Talk to you, hear you. In the end, I became that." With a shaking hand, Danny pointed at the dark, ominous figure in the center of the other wall. Cut crudely into the wall was the vague outline of a powerful, evil ghost. Flames danced across his head, and his cape billowed behind him. But the truly terrifying thing was his eyes. They, more than anything, had been cut deeply and precisely. And as detailed as they were, they were still empty.

"I stopped him." Danny finished quietly. "He came back here from the future to make sure I would become him, and I stopped him. When I did, I made a promise to never become that…thing. Ever. I don't know if the future has changed, but I like to think it did. What I do know is that you, and everyone else I care about, are what make me keep that promise. I don't think I could do it without you." Maddie stared at the carving, face pale and terrified.

"That's…you?" Danny's face hardened.

"No. That _could_ have been me. It's not. I won't become that monster." His eyes softened. "But now you understand why I need you guys. You keep me me. And no matter how often you say you don't deserve my understanding or forgiveness, I _know_ that you never needed it. There's nothing to forgive. If there was even a chance I could become that, it was right for you to hunt me. And despite your attacks, I knew you loved me, and that kept me going." Maddie looked down.

"I'm glad you're not like that, Danny. And I _do _love you. Please, I'd…I'd like you to promise me again. I don't remember the last one. Promise that you're telling the truth, that you're not just trying to make me feel better, to give me an excuse for my actions. And promise that if it is the truth, that I won't lose you to that creature." Danny smiled softly.

"I promise. But promise me something. Promise you'll stop blaming yourself. You're a good mother, and a good person. You don't deserve hatred or blame, especially from yourself. Promise?" Maddie was quiet for at least a minute.

"I promise." Danny sighed.

"Good. I know this isn't a great time, but Dani needs…your…" His mother was breathing slowly, her head against the sill, eyes shut. Danny smiled slightly, and gently picked her up.

"I'm glad you're feeling better." He whispered, as he carried her back to the door. Once through, he took her to her room and tucked her in. Sighing contentedly, his sleeping mother curled onto her side and snuggled into the pillow. Without a sound, Danny floated out of the bedroom and closed the door. After a few short breaths, the ghost boy pensively wandered back downstairs, where Sam and Tucker were watching a repeat news announcement. Seeing his expression, Sam pulled him down beside her and looked at him.

"What's wrong, Danny?" Danny gave his girlfriend a tired smile, and a quick grateful kiss.

"Nothing, now. Mom is going to need some time to sleep. I'll ask her for help tomorrow." Noticing the heavy mood, Tucker perked up and hitched on a grin.

"So, dude. Since we've got time, why don't _you_ tell me what's going on with you, Sam, and uniforms?" Caught off guard, Danny turned a bright shade of red, and started spluttering. Furious, Sam whirled around and cocked a fist. Tucker flinched for a hit that never came. Peeking, he saw Danny gripping Sam by the wrist, laughing.

"Where'd that come from, Tucker?" He asked, still laughing. Tucker managed a genuine grin this time.

"Jazz teased you about it yesterday. I figure there must be something there if _Jazz_ is in on it. So, what's up?" Danny just sat back, gasping. Sam was a furious shade of red. Tucker's grin widened. "Come on, spill it." Sam just glared.

"Danny, we're home." Jack called out from the door. Dani came jogging in, looking concerned.

"So will she help out? I already told your dad, and he said yes. Don't worry," she continued, seeing their shocked faces, "I didn't tell him about Vlad. I just said we'll need to go get some information about how to stabilize me." Danny shook his head.

"Mom's a bit out of it right now. She'll be fine tomorrow." The ghost boy ignored her questioning look. "We should probably get to Clockwork's. We'll need that information." Danny turned to look at Sam and Tucker. "You guys coming?" Tucker shook his head.

"Nah. Valerie called while you were doing…whatever you were doing. I'm gonna go meet her at the Nasty Burger. Later!" Sam hugged her boyfriend and started heading out behind Tucker.

"I don't know how long this'll take, and I have plans with my grandma tonight. Call me?" Danny smiled and nodded. Tucker grinned back.

"Make sure you show up in uni-" Sam violently shoved their geek friend through the door. Danny chuckled.

"Come on, Dani. Let's go." The two headed for the stairs, and met Jack coming down.

"Danny, did something happen? Why's Maddie so tired?" Danny frowned.

"She had a busy day. I ran into her in my lair, and we talked for a while. She just needs to sleep it off." Jack shrugged, eyes on Danielle.

"Well I'm gonna go to the lab and start on a DNA manipulator. It might take longer without Maddie; I'm only good with ghost stuff. But I'll do my best." With that, Danny's father went off to the lab. Dani turned towards her cousin and grinned.

"I haven't seen your lair yet. It sounded cool when you told me about it, but…" Danny smiled back.

"Come on." The two jogged up and back into Danny's lair. Danielle stared around at the stairs and hallways, grinning.

"This place is so cool!" Laughing, the ghost girl stared at the moon and stars through the arches in the walls. "This is totally you." Arm in arm, the two walked along the halls together and out into the ghost zone. Floating along, they came to rest on Clockwork's step. The time ghost was already there, waiting.

"Hello, Danny. Hello, Dani. Please, come in." Danny opened his mouth, but Clockwork raised his hand.

"Don't worry about it, Danny. If it helps, the odds are good that you'll visit me for fun many times." Smiling, the all-knowing spirit led them inside and down into his study. Danny seated himself in his now customary place, and Clockwork waited for him to speak.

"Dani needs help." He said, deciding that since Clockwork knew everything, he could afford to be direct. "She's going to melt unless we get her stabilized, and Vlad is the only one who knows how to do that. You know where Vlad is." He stopped, and gazed at the time ghost. Clockwork merely sat there. With an indignant huff, Dani elbowed her cousin in the side and turned towards the ghost.

"Will you please tell us what you can to help us?" Clockwork smiled.

"Danny, you could learn a thing or two from her about manners. Just because I know you appreciate my help doesn't mean I don't like you to tell me." Danny flushed slightly. Clockwork's smile faded. He hated bad news.

"Stabilizing Danielle will be difficult. I'm sorry dear, but you were never meant to be stabilized." Dani stared in shock. "You were a means to an end. Vlad needed a relatively stable and human-looking clone to help him lure Danny into a trap. That's why you're a girl. I don't know how much you've learned about genetics, but a lot of the important controlling genes are on the X chromosome. He created a patchwork set of genes based on his own mutation to compensate for Danny's missing mid-morph DNA when he produced the first batch of clones, but all of his male clones came out…oddly. He could partially stabilize them, but the non-compatible DNA made them mutate wildly, and they didn't look even remotely human. So, he doubled up Danny's X chromosome instead when he made you, to make you more stable. While you aren't completely stable, you can maintain your form better than the others could, and you look human. That's also why his 'perfect' clone had to remain in stasis. Without the added stability of a double X or patchwork genes, he melted the second he woke. Vlad wanted a perfect copy of Danny, so he couldn't change a single gene." Dani and Danny stared.

"Okay, let's pretend we understood all of that. Why would any of that make stabilizing Dani difficult?" Clockwork sighed.

"Part of Danny's stable mid-morph DNA is on every gene, including his Y chromosome. Since you don't have one, Dani, the transfer will be much more complicated. And you'll have to work quickly. While the extra X chromosome helps stabilize your form, you are missing the mid-morph DNA. Which means, unlike the original male clones that were given a patch, your form will eventually dissolve whether you use your powers or not. The X greatly slowed the process, but Vlad only meant for you to be a temporary servant. Eventually, you will simply melt away." Dani stared at the ancient ghost in horror. Danny silently stared off into space. "Would you like some good news?" Both of them nodded mutely.

"Vlad has no idea how to stabilize you, Dani. You're a unique case. So you won't have to worry about forcing him to help, or working with him. I'm confident that the Fentons will pull through. I can't tell you the future," he added, seeing both their faces light back up, "but I can tell you that there are more potential futures where you survive than where you don't. You are not in my charge though, Danielle, so I cannot interfere on your behalf. My best wishes are with you, however." Seeing their faces fall, Clockwork groaned inside. He _hated _bad news. "I suggest you two get back home. And Danielle, I recommend avoiding your ghost powers as much as you can. While some slips are bound to happen, with you going through the same thing Danny is, you should not intentionally use them. You are destabilizing very slowly, but using your powers will accelerate the process. Good day." With that, Clockwork faded from view. The two dejected teens flew off for home, Danielle reverting to human form as soon as possible.

In his main chamber, Clockwork reviewed the potential futures once again. His worry was not now for Danielle, but for Danny, the young ghost boy who _was_ in his charge. Looking into the relatively near future, he saw many possibilities. Great pain and suffering. But in some, his young charge was successful, and ultimately happy. Flickering between these potentialities, the time ghost looked for a common event, something that would make these more possible. Gazing at the immediate future, he gasped, seeing what must be done. Right on cue, a thundering crack rang through his home, and a wicked cackling grew in volume, and receded into the distance. The master of time sighed.

"It seems I must allow you to go free. It is necessary." Clockwork looked at the other potentialities, where his dark escapee reigned victorious. "It is a risk I must take, for Danny's future. I only hope that he defeats you once again. Good luck, Danny." Turning away from the screen, Clockwork phased down into his lower chambers, where a blue half-ghost moped in a dungeon. "A pity, Vlad. Perhaps one day you shall realize the error of your ways." The evil ghost made no response. None of Clockwork's prisoners did. Those still within the time stream were well within the ghost's power, and Vlad, like the others, was frozen in time. When his sentence expired, he would be released. Until then, he would be one more sounding board for the time master's frustrations.

"Knowing everything. It's overrated. And fortunately for me, untrue. I know the future that will be. But I also see all futures that might yet be, but will not, and there is no way to tell which is which. I suppose I must rest my confidence in Danny. He might not ever forgive me for allowing his greatest fear to escape. But if he wins…The risk is worth it for what future that might bring. Isn't it?" Clockwork sat before his silent, unmoving prisoner and pondered, lost in a rare moment of confusion. "Perhaps it would be better if I didn't know everything. I might know what I should do."


	8. Slips

Hi!

I actually made the title work again! Lots of slips, hehe. We get to talk with Sam's parents, too. I don't like them much, honestly. They're so 'Stepford.' It's kind of creepy. No fighting in this one, but its still got some important stuff. And next chapter, we might see what Dan's getting up to.

Thank you to all glorious reviewers! I'm not positive, but I think DP Fan is new, so welcome! For those of you who were curious, it is not touched on much, but basically, Danny's future has slightly better odds of turning out better if he fights Dan again. Clockwork's gambling a bit on him coming out on top. Which is why he allowed Dan to escape. But I can't say more.

Hope you like the chapter,

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 8 – Slips

The two ghost kids walked downstairs into the basement lab. Jack was busy tinkering on a large machine in the corner, its cover lying on the floor by its side. Danny stared at the large device.

"Wow, dad. I know you said you'd help, but that's a lot of work for just an hour." Jack started at the voice, then looked over to see the two kids standing in the lab.

"Oh, hey Danny. Err, it's not just an hour's work. Maddie and I finished this right before you told us your secret, and we were going to tear it down anyway." The hunter's smile faltered. "We made this to…uh…" Danny flushed.

"Torture, experiment on, and destroy me?" He asked quietly. Jack just nodded. Danny gulped, and took a few deep breaths. "Don't worry about it. You had good reasons." His father sighed, and went back to work.

"At least some good can come from this thing." He grunted. "We can use the body for the DNA manipulation we'll have to do. The rest will have to be custom made. I'm just tearing off all of the unnecessary parts." And with that, the older man pulled off yet another piece, and tossed it across the room, where it shattered on the wall. He smiled slightly.

"So did you two get that information?" Dani frowned, and shook her head.

"No. I wasn't meant to be stabilized, so there aren't any blueprints, or schematics, or anything." Jack stared, and the ghost girl looked down. "He was just going to use me, and let me die." The older man's eyes narrowed and he let out a low growl. "Don't you worry, Dani. I'll get you stabilized if it's the last thing I do." His expression grew serious. "But first, I need you two to take turns on the ghost scanner. I need to do a complete power reading and DNA map as humans, ghosts, and during the switch." Nodding, Danny headed over to the now-familiar table and lay down. Dani hung back, nervous. The other half ghost smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Dani. It doesn't hurt." Danielle smiled slightly as Jack went over to the controls and started the scanner. This time, a second arm also came over, ending in a sharp, gleaming needle. Danny's eyes bugged slightly at this new feature.

"Actually, Danny, I need DNA samples, and this will make that easier." The tiny needle retracted into a flat plate at the end of the arm, and the device rotated over to Danny's torso. "It will feel like a quick bee sting, the needle goes in and out very fast. We designed it to sample ghosts, and it had to be fast to get the sample before they instinctively phased out to avoid the needle. You'll barely feel it." Danny relaxed, then winced as the needle shot out and back in a split second. Once the terminal beeped, Jack ran the energy scan and went over to replace the needle. He placed the other, along with the sample it contained, in a small receptacle by the screen. "Alright, now change forms, _slowly_." Nodding, Danny started changing. The moment the ring passed beneath the needle, it shot out once again, grabbing a mid-morph sample. After the glow moved on and Jack once again changed it, it dug in a third time, and grabbed the final sample. After a quick scan of his ghost form, Jack motioned for Danny to get up, and started on Danielle. As he repeated the process, he read off the readings.

"Well, it seems that while Danny has more energy, you both have as much energy in both forms, but the human form inhibits the flow. That's why you can use your powers as humans, but they work better when you're ghosts. Danny's mid-morph DNA is…different." He said, scratching his head. "The regular DNA proteins have mutated." Danny started, pale. Noting his reaction, Jack smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, son. If it were anything dangerous, I'm sure you'd be dead by now." If anything, his son grew even paler and sat down hard. Oblivious, Jack blathered on.

"When you change forms, your DNA starts signaling to ectoplasm instead of the regular human stuff. It's shape and pattern changes before it does this, and that's what Dani is missing. Her DNA is trying to do the same thing, but it doesn't know how, and every time it changes, the ectoplasm damages the information while reading it. Thankfully, human genes have multiple copies, so nothing has happened yet, but if this keeps up, your body will eventually fall apart." Dani groaned, lying back on the testing table. Jack turned his reassuring smile to the girl.

"Don't worry, Dani. Maddie and I will rig up that machine to use copies from Danny's mid-morph sample to train your DNA to change like his does. Then you won't die!" The man's smile dropped, and he rubbed his chin. "But we'll have to tweak a few things first, because your DNA doesn't match perfectly." Dani raised an eyebrow. "You're a girl. Danny isn't. We'll have to find some way to…I don't know, crazy glue the important stuff you'd miss onto a spare strand, but leave out anything…boyish. In the mean time, try not to melt." Dani rolled her eyes.

"How long will this thing take?" Jack frowned, thinking.

"It'll be at least a day or so for Maddie and me to modify existing gene tech designs to work for this, another few days for our suppliers to ship us the parts. And in the meantime, we'll have to tweak Danny's DNA to work for a girl, and talk to the press about that tape Valerie sent in." His smile returned. "She might be angry, but she's a kick-butt hunter and a decent person, too! You kids can leave now, I'll start working on that tweaking part right away. Tomorrow Maddie can help me design the parts we'll need." Without a backwards glance, Jack turned his full attention to Danny's mid-morph readings and started taking long, complex notes. Shrugging, Danny and Danielle started back upstairs, and plugged in some video games. After toasting her older cousin for the fifth time, Dani left Danny groaning on the couch and went to the kitchen to grab some sodas. Her nose tickled. Wiggling it in annoyance, she opened the fridge and pulled out two cans. As she turned, the tickling intensified.

"Ahh-choo!" Dani sneezed violently, almost dropping the sodas. Blinking her slightly watery eyes, the ghost girl stopped, staring at the far wall of the kitchen. Ice coated the floor, wall, and ceiling along the entire length, sparkling in the low light.

"Uhh, Danny!" Her older cousin came running in, slipping on the icy floor and hitting his head.

"Ow! What's going on, did the freezer break?" Dani shook her head, pale. Danny paused, seeing her reaction. Then, equally pale, realization dawned. "Did…did you do this?" Dani nodded.

"I didn't mean to, I just sneezed, and…" Danny stared at the frozen kitchen.

"Huh. Freezing breath. I can't do that." The older boy turned to look at her. "Could you do it again?" Dani stared, and shook her head violently.

"Are you crazy? I'm lucky I didn't melt _this_ time." The boy blushed.

"Oh yeah." He said sheepishly. Wincing at the slight bruising, Danny sat up, rubbing his back. "I guess we should try and clean some of this up." Dani looked over, quirking an eyebrow.

"Why don't you try that thing you did in the attic? You know, take it all somewhere else?" Danny frowned.

"I guess I could try." Concentrating, Danny returned to his ghost form, and focused on moving the ice. A few moments later, it all vanished, and Danny returned, gazing down bemusedly at the toaster in his left hand. "Well, I guess nobody's perfect, right? Still, that should really help with chores and stuff, even if I can't seem to go very far." Dani cocked her head to the side.

"Where'd you take it?" Danny shrugged, changing back to human.

"Just outside, but I _wanted_ to drop it all on top of Vlad's football stuff in Wisconsin. I guess that power isn't very long-range. It's weird, though." He continued. "I went clear across town using it once." Dani just shrugged back.

"Maybe you can't go as far when you're carrying stuff." The girl grinned. "But let's worry about that later, you have some more losing to do." Danny groaned, grabbing the soda out of Dani's left hand, and trudged back towards the living room. When they got back, Jazz was sitting on the couch, watching another news rerun.

"Hey, Jazz, we were using that couch. And that TV." Jazz just rolled her eyes and sat back, rubbing her temples.

"Tough. It's been a long day, Danny, I need a break. After school, dad dropped me off at City Hall to sort out interviews and all that junk with the mayor. Apparently he had to work on something at home that just couldn't wait." The older girl rolled her eyes. "Probably some sort of ghost powered butter knife, or something." Dani sat down by her older cousin.

"Actually he's trying to make a way to stabilize me so I don't melt. We just didn't' want to talk about it." Jazz's eyes widened, but she calmed down slightly.

"Well I guess that's a good reason. But it's still been a long day. I haven't even seen the ghost footage Valerie sent in yet. Never mind that every interview I had to set up was about that stupid video." Danny went around the couch and sat on the other side, sipping his soda.

"I'm glad Valerie sent it in. It might help clear my name, and get that bounty dropped. But what's going on with these interviews?" Jazz turned from the television, which was once again showing Danny beat Vlad up, and turned towards her brother.

"The first one is tomorrow after school. The local news is coming here to interview mom and dad at home. And they asked that everyone in the family be here. Apparently they're trying to get a human interest spin on the story, on top of the ghost thing." Jazz shook her head. "The rest will just be mom and dad, either alone or with the mayor. But those won't happen until later this week. The mayor said he wanted to give the locals an edge, but I think he's just putting off any public comments until he can pull how the voters are reacting to all of this. I'll have to tell dad later since he's working, but…where's mom?" Danny shifted uncomfortably.

"She's…sleeping. She had a long day." Jazz's expression became unreadable.

"Did she talk with you?" Danny just nodded mutely. Suddenly, he found himself being crushed in yet _another_ hug.

"Jeez, what's with you guys and hugs lately?" He gasped out. "It's not like we're on one of those therapy shows. And I. Can't. Breathe." Jazz relaxed her grip, and returned her attention to the TV.

"Sorry, I'm just glad she finally talked about all of that. I mean, she talked to _me_, but she needed to talk to you." Danny just nodded, ignoring Danielle's curious looks. "Did dad talk to you, too?" Now Danny was just as confused as his clone.

"What?" Jazz froze, then flushed, focusing far too intently on the TV.

"Err, nothing. I just figured if mom needed to talk, so did he, that's all." Jazz laughed lightly, and winced at a particularly nasty punch on the screen. Danny just cocked an eybrow, but let it drop. Dani and Jazz sat together in companiable silence and watched TV while Danny headed up to his room. Once there, the ghost boy pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

"Hello?" Sam's voice came over the phone, sounding annoyed.

"Hey Sam."

"Danny?" The half ghost grinned.

"You know, the way you answer your phone might be why I don't call you more." Sam snorted.

"Oh, ha ha. For your information, it's been a lousy afternoon. Besides the whole 'Valerie helping the ghost boy' thing. The second I got home, I wound up on the sidelines of World War Three. Apparently mom and grandma had been arguing about how much freedom I should have. Halfway through, grandma let slip that she let me run off to Circus Gothica that night; she was making some point about how mom and dad don't trust me to look out for myself or something. The point is, mom hit the roof. I've spent the last two hours trying out pink floral print dresses just for damage control. Bad news, grandma isn't _allowed_ to take me places on her own for a while." Sam scoffed over the phone. "Like mom and dad can control her. But we both talked about it after mom screamed herself blue, and decided we'll have to lay low for awhile. So there go my plans for the evening." Danny frowned, then grinned.

"Mind if I cheer you up?" He asked.

"What do have in mind?" Danny's grin widened.

"Oh, I don't know, I was thinking a walk through the zoo to visit Delilah, shakes at the Nasty Burger, maybe some bowling. I'd say movie, but you get all the best ones early, and you probably want out of the house." Sam chuckled.

"You got that right, Danny. But what about homework?" Danny laughed.

"It's Monday, Sam. I don't have anything due tomorrow, and the ghosts can't attack while I'm in town. Come on, you deserve a night out." Finally, Sam sighed.

"Yeah, okay. But I'll have to ask my parents first. After what happened with grandma, there's no way I'd get off for leaving without asking." Danny groaned. Sam chuckled again. "Don't worry, I think they'll say yes. Even if it's just to keep me away from grandma for a few hours. And mom is in a pretty good mood after all of those dresses. Stop by in about five minutes. See you soon!"

The phone clicked off, and Danny panicked. He only had five minutes to get ready for a night out with Sam and fly over. Diving towards his closet like a marine in combat, the ghost boy tore through his clothes. Smirking, he took off his old t-shirt and put on the black one with the DP insignia. Draping the silver ghost necklace over his neck, he ran full-out to the bathroom and ran a wet comb through his hair. After a brief check at his reflection, he rushed down the stairs and nearly knocked Jazz and Dani over.

"Hey, watch it!" Jazz looked at his clothes and smirked. "Going to see Sam?" Danny nodded quickly and ran out the door. His sister frowned.

"You know, it was a lot more fun teasing him about Sam when they 'weren't together.'" Dani turned and grinned at her cousin.

"Whatever. More time for us. I need your help to catch up in chemistry. I'm in way over my head." Jazz smiled.

"Sure thing. Come on, I'll race you to your room." Giggling, the two girls rushed upstairs, shoving each other into the walls to gain an edge.

Danny changed into his ghost form and paused. Smirking, he quickly turned invisible and concentrated. A moment later he opened his eyes and looked around. Just as he'd planned, he was right inside the local florist shop. Checking for witnesses, he changed back into his human form and became visible, shaking slightly with the effort of teleporting and then holding his invisibility while transforming. After regaining his composure, he walked up to the clerk and smiled.

"Six roses, please. Three black, three red." Nodding, and only a little confused about how he hadn't heard his customer come in, the shop clerk went over to a nearby cooler and pulled out the flowers. Danny silently gestured at the purple ribbon, and he nodded quietly and tied the bundle together.

"Halfa dozen roses comes to seven twenty-five." Danny quickly gave him a ten and accepted the flowers and his change. Without another word, he jogged outside and into a nearby alley, and made the next jump. Seconds later, he stepped out from behind some hedges at the Manson home and rang the bell. Sam threw the door open and smiled. Smirking, Danny pulled the flowers out from behind his back and gave them to her. Blushing slightly at the bundle, Sam led Danny inside.

"My parents want to talk to you. Probably one of those 'we don't like you,' things, but it was the only way they'd let me go." Sam held up the flowers and took a deep breath. "So you picked up flowers and showed up in under five minutes. Been working out?" She teased. Danny grinned back.

"Just some new tricks. So where are…your…" Without a word, Sam pushed Danny into a small downstairs lounge and shut the door behind him. Gulping, the hybrid concentrated on not dropping his pants as he slowly walked across the room and took a seat. The two Mansons viewed him coldly. "Uh, hi?"

"We have recently discovered that you and our Samantha are…dating." Mrs. Manson's expression could have curdled milk. "We have an interest in knowing your intentions." Mr. Manson nodded.

"Samantha is an idealist, but naïve. You will not take advantage of her." Danny was now very red. Mostly from embarrassment at the accusations.

"It's not like that! I really like Sam, and, uh, I want her to be…happy?" The Mansons rolled their eyes.

"This isn't about happiness. We merely wish to avoid scandal. Samantha could have any upstanding gentleman she wished, yet she chooses you." Mrs. Mansons' tone was not angry. She sounded like the boy in front of her was barely worth such attention, but was resigned to fulfill a distasteful obligation. "We want to make sure that you two don't plan to embarrass the family. Aside from that, you will do as you please." Danny's eyes narrowed, and flashed green for a moment. He hastily looked down to hide the glow, and fixed on a polite smile.

"I promise we won't do anything 'embarrassing.' We just want to go to the zoo." He said slowly, through slightly gritted teeth. Nodding, Mr. Manson dismissed him with a vague wave of his hand.

"Go then. Only make sure that you behave yourselves. We have our image to maintain." Getting up, Danny walked stiffly from the room. Sam met him outside, frowning slightly.

"What did they want?" Danny's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing important." His expression brightened. "Let's go." Smiling, Sam rushed ahead to the hedge row, a secluded place Danny could transform so they could fly. Danny walked out behind her. He paused, scowling angrily, as he viewed a bust of some dead rich guy along the walk. Eyes flashing again, he punched the statue in frustration. "Jerks." Feeling much better, Danny jogged off after Sam and the two flew away to enjoy an afternoon together. In the garden, cracks slowly spread across the statue, and within minutes, it crumbled into dust.


	9. Sights

Hello, peoples.

Wow, this chapter was hard to start. I think I've had my first experience with writer's block. It was like the story just vanished from my head. Luckily, I went into my head looking, and managed to find it. I'm sure nobody thought I looked too odd staring blankly into space, drooling. Anyway, I've managed to pick the story back up a bit. I'm happy with how things have been so far, but I think it was slightly in danger of slowing too much and petering out. This should help, even if this is the shortest chapter I've written for this story so far.

Thanks to all reviewers, and for those concerned, there isn't too much more 'sciency' stuff. It just always bothered me that Dani was a GIRL, so I thought it had to be explained somehow. For those of you that skipped the explanation or popped an aspirin, I understand completely. Be glad I don't go into infinite quantum bifurcation multiverse theories and subjective extra temporal experiences to explain Dan, we'd all need several bottles of the stuff, and most of you would probably stop reading. Fortunately, I'm not quite that evil. XD

Sam and Danny get their date! Yay! It was really fun to write, I hope its fun to read.

Bye!

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 9 – Sights

Danny and Sam reached the Amity Park Zoo after a leisurely five minute flight. Touching down and turning visible, the two strolled in through the main gates and headed off to the great ape exhibits. Sam wrapped her arm around Danny's waist and grinned up at him.

"So what's with the shirt? Wanted to dress to impress?" Danny chuckled.

"I didn't want to disappoint my biggest fan." He teased. "I know how hot she thinks my uniform is." Sam blushed.

"I don't know, the short sleeves might work for you." She teased back in a soft voice, running a finger up and down his forearm. Now Danny was blushing. The grinning couple slowly ambled along towards the Purple-back Gorilla exhibit. Danny frowned at the sign.

"Come see the magnificent Sampson?" He asked incredulously. "Come on, it's been almost a year, you'd think they could have changed the sign by _now_." Chuckling, Sam shook her head and pointed to the cage. Danny gasped. "_Two_? The zoo got another Purple-back?" Sam nodded, smiling.

"That's Sampson, and they checked this time. I read about it in this month's 'Ecology.' They managed to find a male Purple-back, and he moved in a few weeks ago. This zoo's efforts might save an entire species." Sam turned and smiled at her boyfriend. The two stood there and watched Sampson sit next to Delilah, his arm draped across her shoulder. "I wanted to surprise you. If you hadn't asked me out, I'd have found some other way to bring you here." Danny smiled back.

"Well, I'm glad Delilah has someone. She deserves it after everything she's been through." Sam nodded, smiling softly.

"Yeah, after all of that horrible ghost trouble, I'm glad she found love." Danny nodded.

"Someone to look after her, and keep her safe." Sam scowled slightly.

"Now hold on. Delilah can take care of herself, thank you very much. She might like Sampson, but she doesn't need him to kick butt. She's a tough gorilla." Danny held his hands up, slightly surprised at her tone.

"I'm not saying she couldn't! I've seen her in action, she's pretty scary! I'm just saying that since Sampson likes her, he'll do everything he can to keep her safe. When you love someone, you protect them." Sam paused, thoughtful.

"It's still chauvinistic, but I'll let it go this time." She smirked, and tugged at his sleeve. "Come on, Sampson, let's get that milkshake." A confused expression on his face, Danny shrugged, waving goodbye to the happy gorilla couple, and walked with Sam out of the zoo, his arm casually draped over her shoulder.

Since the Nasty Burger was nearby, the two decided to walk. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky, but it had been a hot day, and the asphalt was sending up visible heat waves. Sam was starting to 'simmer' slightly, and Danny paused to wipe his brow.

"Jeez, I'd kill to be able to freeze stuff like Dani." Sam paused mid-step and turned towards him.

"What?" Danny shrugged, as they continued walking.

"Today Dani sneezed and froze half the kitchen. I tried it, but I can't do it. It's weird; I thought we were basically the same." Sam pursed her lips.

"Well, you can't shrink like that other clone could, and neither can she. Maybe this is a Dani thing. No one said you'd both get the same powers. Even if some ice would be great right now." Danny nodded to himself.

"I guess. I mean, she can't do the Ghostly Wail, and dad's computer said she had enough energy, so that's not the problem. Maybe you're right. Either that, or we will have the same powers, just get them in a different order. It probably doesn't matter."

The two arrived at the Nasty Burger and paused to bask in the air conditioning. Looking around, they spotted Tucker and Valerie sitting at a booth near the back. Spotting the couple, Tucker smiled and waved them over. Nodding, Sam and Danny picked up their milkshakes and joined their two friends. Tucker was definitely overdressed for a casual date, with a full dress shirt, cuffs, necktie, and slacks. He must have been nervous about going out. Valerie was looking at his outfit with exasperation. She was wearing a blood red t-shirt with black markings. 'The Huntress' was styled across the front. Danny snorted.

"Going out in _that_ shirt? Don't you think it makes your secret identity kinda obvious?" Sam turned and stared at her DP-shirted boyfriend, mouth slightly open. Tucker simply raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Valerie smiled.

"Just showing my support. 'Whoever she is,' she needs some major PR work Even if she just helped Phantom, people around here still remember all the times she attacked him. It doesn't matter to them that she thought he was evil at the time. Until opinions get better, she's probably going to lay low and let Phantom do his thing." She turned her eyes to the black and white DP shirt. "I guess you're showing your support, too?" Danny flushed slightly, remembering what he was wearing.

"Err, yeah. I guess I'm a fan, even if I don't get to see him much." Tucker just rolled his eyes, and Sam and Danny sat down. Tucker gave the couple a smirk and turned towards his girlfriend, whispering conspiratorially.

"Don't you believe it. He wore that thing because Sam likes it." Valerie snorted as Sam and Danny both turned very red. "What about it do you like so much, anyway?" Sam glared daggers at her friend, who merely smirked back in response.

"Never mind, Tucker." She warned dangerously. Valerie grinned.

"Oh come on, Sam." She teased, eager to join in the fun. "You can tell us." Danny was starting to turn a bit red from suppressed laugher. Sam turned towards Tucker.

"You're never going to let this drop, are you?" Tucker just leaned back, casually draping his arm behind Valerie.

"Nope." Sam tensed, then just deflated, looking down at her shake.

"Whatever. I just think Phantom's outfit is hot." Tucker's eyes bugged slightly, and he almost choked on a mouthful of his shake. Valerie continued her teasing.

"Oh?" She asked, turning her eyes on Danny as Tucker coughed beside her. "And what does the boyfriend think of that? Still a fan of Phantom?" Desperately trying to control himself, Danny put on the straightest face he could.

"I guess. If she thinks Phantom is so hot, I'll just have to deal with it." Tucker rolled his eyes and groaned, and the couple both bit their tongues to keep from cracking up. Valerie frowned, confused.

"You're cool with that? You always seemed the jealous type. I guess you're really a fan of his, huh?" Gasping slightly to recover from his repressed laughing fit, Danny discretely allowed his slipping energy to shoot into the floor. A few lights on the Nasty Burger sign blew up in sparks. Sam just smiled, looking over at her boyfriend.

"We're both big fans of Phantom. But Danny's fine with it, cause he knows I like him just the way he is." Valerie shot Tucker an odd look, expecting some sort of jibe. Instead, he was just sitting back and looking at the two, slightly red-faced. Shrugging, she tried to make up for his mysterious silence.

"Yeah, but if you had to choose. What would it be? Danny's sweetness or Phantom's hotness?" Tucker groaned.

"This conversation is seriously messed up." Valerie raised an eyebrow at that comment. Not quite comfortable with where these questions were going, Sam and Danny gave a hasty goodbye and took off for the bowling alley. Along the way, Danny shot Sam an odd look.

"What?" He just shrugged, looking confused and uncertain.

"I was just wondering about that last question of Valerie's. I mean, you didn't try to go out with me before the portal incident. What about me do you like exactly? Fenton or Phantom?" Sam snorted, thinking he was kidding. Her smirk dropped when she saw the serious expression on his face.

"You serious?" Danny nodded mutely. Sam sighed.

"I like _you_, Danny. Human, ghost, whatever. I liked you before the accident, and I liked you after. If you lost your ghost half tomorrow, I'd still care about you just as much. I'm not just some Phantom fan-girl." Danny nodded quietly, but he looked relieved. "Let's go bowling, huh? Last time, you only beat me by thirty pins." Danny quirked an eyebrow playfully.

"Think you can beat me?" Sam laughed.

"Nah. But I bet I can lose by less than twenty." Arm in arm, the two walked towards the bowling alley. About a block away, Danny froze, blue mist flying from his mouth.

"Oh come on, can't these ghosts take a hint?" Quickly jumping into an alley and transforming, Danny floated up and scanned for ghosts.

"Hey…dipstick." A soft, raspy voice called out with barely a hint of its usual bite. Turning, Danny's eyes narrowed. Sam glared at the blue haired ghost and fished around for her Fenton Lipstick.

"Ember. I thought you'd already been tossed out." Ember shook her head at Danny, frowning.

"Nope. You didn't do it, so I can still pop in if I want. But I'm not here to fight. I…need your help." Witty banter dying on his lips, Danny stared for a second, and sank to the ground. Ember did the same.

"Fine, I'm listening. But no funny movements." Ember chuckled, then winced, grabbing her throat. Noting the movement, Danny's eyes widened as he remembered this ghost's former future. "Oh no." Pale, he motioned for Sam to put away her weapon. "Did a ghost hurt your voice?" Ember nodded mutely, then fell down on her knees and cried, wincing as even that hurt a great deal. Danny stood there in shock, changing back to his human form. "Hey, calm down. I really don't want to hear this, but I think I know what's going on. If I'm right, we'll probably need to sit down. Ember, you can pass for human, right? Let's go into the bowling alley and grab a table." The three quietly walked inside and sat down in a secluded corner. "Okay, talk." Sniffling, Ember started speaking.

_In a remote corner of the ghost zone, music rang out through a large, gold-plated door. Jamming on her own private stage, Ember never noticed her hidden, red-eyed guest. Sure, she sensed someone had entered her lair, but some ghosts liked her music. She just hoped it wasn't Klemper again, he was so annoying. As she finished the last few chords, slow sarcastic clapping filled the room. The blue-haired ghost rolled her eyes._

"_I know you're there. If you have something to say, say it. If you don't, get lost."_

_The dark shadow in the room chuckled coldly. The next thing Ember knew, the mysterious figure had grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her outside, slamming the doors behind him. In the green light of the Ghost Zone, she saw a large frame with a swirling cloak and flaming hair. A familiar DP logo spread across his chest. Suddenly nervous, Ember fought down her emotions and fixed on a sarcastic smile._

"_That you, Dipstick? Been working out? I gotta say, the freakishly huge look doesn't work for you." The blue-faced ghost didn't respond, he simply flew forward and grabbed her throat._

"_Ember. No, I'm not the 'dipstick.' Not exactly, anyway. I want answers." There wasn't any rage in the voice exactly, just coldness. His eyes bored into her with great intensity, much like Danny's did when they fought. But unlike Danny, this wasn't righteous anger; it was an almost overwhelming desire to destroy. All the strength fled Ember's legs as she gazed into those empty, hungry eyes. She gulped._

"_Wha-what kind of answers d-do you want?" She gasped out from the iron grip. The dark figure sneered at her._

"_How powerful is Danny? Where is Vlad? Has anything significant happened at Amity Park in the last few months?" Ember stared, confused. The figure shook her roughly. "You should talk now." She quickly nodded, eyes wide._

"_Danny is more powerful now. He beat Vlad on his own. Vlad disappeared after the fight, nobody's seen him." Ember muttered under her breath. "Jerk didn't even pay me for my services." Her attacker leered at that. Ember shuddered. "Not _that_, eww. Even if he wasn't a creep, he's still a human." The dark ghost shook her again. "What? What do you want?"_

"_Amity Park." He repeated coldly. "You still haven't mentioned Amity Park." Ember shuddered._

"_Umm, Vlad tried to make them think Danny is evil. I don't know if it worked, I left too soon to see. There was a huge bounty on his head. And the ghost council declared Danny owner of Amity Park. Ghosts can't show up there uninvited." Her tormentor paused, then grinned, showing pointed teeth._

"_Is that so? Well, I just might be an exception. I'll have to find out." Ember stared struggling again._

"_I answered your stupid questions, now let me go! What do you want with that kid anyway? Revenge?" The cloaked figure didn't let go, he just laughed._

"_Revenge is a human thing. Why would _I_ do something human? Love, hate, anger, it's all stupid, all pointless, unnecessary. _I_ just want to kill people." With that, he threw her hard into her lair door and fired a vicious beam at her throat. Cackling as she screamed mutely at the pain, he quickly flew off, firing at random ghosts as he went._

"After that I got my voice back, but I can't sing." Ember said in her raspy voice, eyes watering. "I know that, for whatever reason, you have a problem with my power. But even when I wasn't trying to rule the world, I liked to sing. What kind of monster would do this?" Sam was shaking, wide-eyed. Danny was pale, staring off into space.

"I can't believe he got out." He said quietly. He turned towards Ember. "Why come to me? I thought you didn't like me? That's what you said, anyway." Ember frowned.

"I don't. But with Vlad gone to…wherever he is, you're the strongest ghost around. And I figure if this bozo was so interested in killing you, you'd probably side with me over him. Besides, you're 'honorable.'" She said sarcastically. "I gave you a heads up, you owe me. Toast this bozo, whoever he is, and we're even." Danny nodded mutely. Finally, he found his voice.

"Thanks for that. Need a place to stay for a while?" Ember raised an eyebrow.

"Ew. First, I hate you. Second, you're a human. And third, aren't you with this chick?" She nodded towards Sam. "Nice makeup by the way." Danny shuddered, and actually managed to chuckle despite the situation.

"Not like that. You can hang out in my lair. No ghost hunters will go after you, and it's hard to find stuff in there, so you should be safe." Ember pursed her lips, and nodded.

"You know, kid? You're actually pretty cool. Now if you'd just let me rule the world…" Sam glared.

"Don't even think about it. Besides, you can't sing, remember?" Ember's face crumpled slightly. Sighing, she nodded, and motioned for Danny to lead the way. Sam quickly gripped his wrist, and the three walked outside. Once clear of witnesses, Danny transformed and flew Sam towards his house, Ember behind them.

In the swirling depths of the ghost zone, Dan Phantom turned his burning gaze upon a floating jungle island. "Skulker. Maybe he knows where Vlad went. Or maybe not. Either way, smashing his tiny body between my fingers is gonna be fun." Grinning, Dan flew down to the hunted hunter.


	10. Reassessments

Hello!

While your opinions will definitely be taken into account, I personally think this is my best chapter. Ever. At least the section with Dark Danny, anyway. The writer's block is completely gone, its dark tendrils have freed my mind and I plunged face-first into a deep well of inspiration. It was awesome! I hope you think so, too. Things are definitely picking up now that Dan is revealed. Danny will be majorly stepping up to the plate. I only hope he's prepared. It's a lot for a fifteen year old to handle. But I hope you see from what happens just how much his loved ones respect him. Don't worry if this seems a bit fast, decisive action was called for, and the preparations are going to be extensively covered, so it's not concluding just yet. We still have a ways to go.

Thanks to all reviewers, especially those who provide me with virtual candy. It is delicious. I saved some to give to the first person to get the joke behind the Fentons' alarm code.

Without further adieu, chapter ten!

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 10 – Reassessments

The front door of the Fenton home flew open to blaring ghost alarms. Danny's parents were upstairs inside ten seconds. Despite the serious risk he ran by agitating his parents like that, Danny had to pause for a moment to appreciate just how well prepared they were for an attack. But once their ghost weapons whirred to life and trained on Ember, Danny held a hand up.

"Hold it. She's here for help." Jack and Maddie paused; eyebrows raised, but didn't lower their weapons.

"Come inside and close the door. Sam, go over to the panel in the wall there, and press 44678." Sam rushed over and entered the code. A moment later, the alarm shut down. Jerking her gun, Maddie motioned for Ember to take a seat. After a brief look at Danny, who merely shrugged, she quickly obeyed. "Alright, explain." Danny looked up and met his mother's gaze, changing back into human form.

"What's with the alarms? I'll just trip them every time I show up." Jack frowned.

"We set them up so they wouldn't read your signature. But since you're always fighting ghosts, we thought our house was probably a target, so we beefed up the security." Maddie nodded.

"But that wasn't an explanation." Danny sighed.

"Mom. Remember that carving you found, the one with the creepy eyes?" Maddie paled.

"What about it?" Danny gulped.

"He's back." Maddie stared at her son, confused. Jack just scratched his head and looked between the ghost at his table, to his family and back.

"I don't understand. I thought you fixed that, er, problem." Danny sighed.

"It's more complicated than that. When I fixed it, my actions depended on me meeting him, so now a version of him exists in this time whether I become him or not. I had him contained…somewhere safe, but he's out now. He hurt Ember." The flame-haired ghost stared up. Suddenly the room burst into questions.

"He's still real?"

"What's your mother talking about, Danny?"

"You've met that bozo before?"

"How is this even possible?"

"That thing _was_ you?"

"What's going on?"

"HOLD IT!" Danny shouted, eyes flashing green. The lights flickered momentarily. Taking a deep breath, the ghost boy sat down beside Ember, staring quietly at the floor.

"Alright. I didn't want to explain this yet. You guys are still getting used to the whole ghost thing, and I didn't want to mess that up." Danny opened his mouth again, but Dani phased down through the floor, holding Jazz's hand. They both looked pale.

"Danny, what's going on? We figured mom and dad could handle the alarm, but you're here and," Jazz paused, noticing Ember for the first time, "what's SHE doing here?" Ember sat back, rubbing her head.

"You know, kid, maybe you shouldn't have told these guys. It looked a lot less stressful when it was just you, the nerd, and princess darkness here." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at Sam, who just glared back. Danny groaned, dropping his head into his hands.

"Okay, from the top. Ember, you've met my parents and Jazz. That other girl is my clo-cousin, Dani. Dani, this is Ember, an evil mind-controlling spirit from another dimension." Dani quirked an eyebrow.

"You mean like Paulina?" Sam grinned despite herself. The ghost girl giggled.

"No, I mean she can control people by singing. Or, she could." Ember hung her head miserably. "She's here under my protection. An evil, twenty five year old version of me is loose in the Ghost Zone destroying stuff. He'll come here eventually, probably to make sure I can't try and stop him later. Right now, I'd guess he's in the Ghost Zone, looking for Vlad. After he's sure Vlad's out of the picture, he'll trash the major ghosts' lairs, assuming he didn't get to them while searching for Vlad. Once they're out of the way, he'll attack the human world. He'll come here first, to remove me as a threat. Then, he'll take down Valerie and Fenton Works, and move on to the Guys in White. After that, he'll pretty much destroy the earth unopposed." Ember was staring at him, mouth gaping.

"Umm, not to rag on you or anything, kid, but he didn't say most of that. He just said he was looking for Vlad. Where'd the rest come from?" Danny shrugged, looking down.

"I've had a lot of time to think about him since I found out. Even if he's evil, he's still basically me. And that's what…that's what _I'd_ do." An awkward silence filled the room. Finally, Jack cleared his throat.

"Er, Danny. This evil ghost…it's you?" Danny shook his head.

"Long story. In one version of reality, I started to turn evil a few months ago. Basically, I ended up destroying everything. The Ghost Zone, the human world, I didn't leave anything standing." Jack paled slightly. Danny gulped and pushed on. "I don't know if it's because I'm part human, or because of genetics, or the portal, or whatever. But the truth is, I'm powerful, dad. You guys haven't seen me destroy anything before, but Sam, Jazz, and Tucker have seen me lose it. They know what I can do, if I want. If I were evil right now, I could destroy this whole city inside an afternoon, and none of you could stop me. And this other version of me has a ten year advantage power-wise." Dani just stared, pale. The others were silent. Finally, Maddie looked up.

"How do we stop him?" Danny sighed.

"I don't know. I only beat him last time because he was using up some of his power to hold you all hostage, and I managed to catch him by surprise. I further weakened him with the Specter Deflector and hit him with the Ghost Gauntlets. I used the Ghostly Wail on him twice, and it was still a near thing. By the time I was done, I was totally drained. I couldn't do it this time. He knows I can use the Wail, and he'll prepare for our weapons. I may not be good at math, but I'm not an idiot, and neither is he. Besides, he picked up all kinds of strategy skills from Vlad." His parents frowned again.

"What?" Jazz put her hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Danny. You did your best to explain quickly. But I think maybe you should just tell them the whole story. _All_ of it." Quietly nodding, Danny motioned for his family to sit down. They complied in equal silence, Maddie's hand draped protectively over her husband's arm.

"I found out something terrible when we went to that college reunion…"

A small, four-legged ghost animal hopped through the green sky from one tree trunk to another. Cautiously, it sniffed the air, and quickly licked out its forked tongue. Its gradually relaxing posture suddenly tensed, fur bristling along its two-foot length, as its ears picked up a small twig snapping one hundred yards to the south. Turning its head rapidly it focused its giant black eyes on the distant bushes. All was still. Still uneasy, the creature loosened its clawed grip on the bark and unfolded a pair of large, gossamer wings. Buzzing as quietly as possible, the strange creature snuck off towards safer pastures. It had flown all of three feet before a bolus flew in and wrapped around it's neck, tearing its head clean off. The severed body and head fell to the ground below, twitching as they dissipated into an ethereal mist.

Skulker, Ghost Zone's greatest hunter, stepped out from the bushes, cursing under his breath. That elusive male had been one of the most acutely perceptive creatures he had ever acquired. If only they weren't so _fragile_. He had yet to develop hunting gear that was quick enough to catch the flighty things, yet gentle enough not to kill them. It wasn't that he didn't intend to kill them eventually anyway; he merely wanted the luxury of _choosing_ whether or not they died after he caught them. While he relished the new and exciting challenge to both his hunting prowess and engineering skills, his patience was wearing thin. This was the fifth such creature he had inadvertently killed, and none of his new tools had been able to spare the things.

At this point the hunter would usually offer Technus a commission to design an effective new feature for his ecto-suit, but even that was not currently an option. About a week ago, the technology ghost had barred himself in his lair, refusing to come out. Every offer Skulker passed him, no matter how ridiculously priced, was answered with incoherent mumblings about 'hundreds and hundreds of stairs.' Even if Technus weren't on mental holiday, Skulker couldn't actually pay him now. Vlad had done the unthinkable, something he'd never done before; he'd cheated Skulker out of a payment. The hunter had seen neither hide nor hair of the blue creep since the Amity Park fiasco, and he was running incredibly short on money. Musing on his current troubles, his meticulously honed hunting instincts where all that saved Skulker from the blast.

The large metallic ghost jumped to the side before he even heard the explosion. Huge chunks of dirt and rubble flew out from a smoking crater. Looking up with narrowed eyes, the hunter watched furiously as a large, dark figure descended. The lighting behind it, he only had the impression of red eyes and a billowing cape.

"So, Vlad. You've finally shown up. Do you intend to pay me, or was that blast a challenge?" The dark figure chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I think you have me confused with someone else." Green light flared in his fist, casting light upwards on a dark, forbidding face. A white DP insignia blazed across the black outfit. Skulker paused, confused.

"Ghost child? You do not look yourself." The figure laughed coldly.

"Closer, but still not quite there." His hand shot forward, and with a single ecto-blast, destroyed over half of Skulker's suit. The hunter's eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" He asked, gazing down at his masterpiece in horror. The figure smiled slightly.

"I need answers, Skulker. And while I could probably get them from you as you are, the feeling of your real body squirming in my clenched fist sounds much more fun."

Without a second's further hesitation, Skulker destroyed his armor and jumped. He might be confident in his own abilities, but he was no fool. No intelligent hunter _this_ overmatched would stand and fight. He needed to regroup. Falling to the ground, he ran as fast as he could to the nearest emergency tunnel entrance. The network of escape pipes just large enough for his true form riddled the entire complex, all leading back to his main base and spare weapons. If he could just get there…

A gloved hand plucked him into the air mere inches from the nearest tube, kicking madly. Dan chuckled, and tightened his grip. Skulker made a soft, gasping sound, nearly fainting from the pain.

"What do you want?" He asked in a pathetic voice quite unlike anything he'd ever used before. He had lost, _badly_. And he knew it. Dan grinned down at the pathetic creature and squeezed.

"Talk to me Skulker. You were always close with Vlad; his little errand boy. Where is he?" The hunter gasped, sucking for air.

"N-no one knows. After the fight in Amity Park, he just vanished." Dan shook the small ghost hard. "I swear! I've looked everywhere. He owes me money!" The dark ghost paused thoughtfully.

"Well if you had an interest in it, you probably did your best. And I _know_ you're not stupid enough to lie to me, Skulker." He shook his fist hard, and Skulker nodded desperately. "Perhaps you can help me with my other problem. I need you to tell me if someone who is not bound by the conventional laws of time and existence could bypass a ghost-imposed barrier and invade a haunt." Skulker's eyes widened.

"How should I know?" The hand tightened, but this time, did not relax. He started to turn blue. "I don't know! I've never heard of something like that before! And I've read the Ghost Laws cover to cover; I used to be a council member! Let me go!" He pleaded. Dan rubbed his chin.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to test it then. But I think I'll work my charm on the Ghost Zone first. I have a few old friends to meet, and word might reach my ear about good old uncle Vlad." He chuckled evilly and looked down. "But first I think I'll play a little hunting game." Dan bent down and dropped a trembling Skulker onto the grassy earth. Bending further, he nearly placed his eyes at ground level and locked gazes with his terrified prey. "Run."

Danny wrapped up his story, leaning back with a sigh. Sam and Jazz had both heard it before, but the others were completely dumbstruck. After even a brief description of Danny's old future, Ember had been so upset her hair went out. Jack was sprawled back on the floor, staring vacantly into space.

"Vlad. Vlad is a ghost. My son is a ghost. Vlad and my son are ghosts. My best friend wants to kill me." Maddie rubbed her husband's back gently, as she shook ever so slightly from the terrible things her son had said.

"All of those people. All of those lives." Briefly her gaze flicked to Danny in his chair. Danny flinched under the gaze. There was pity in it, but under that, there was fear. She was afraid of him. Even if she loved him, she would always be afraid of him. Mutely, Danny floated upstairs and away from those terrible eyes, and collapsed on his bed. After all of the pain, it was funny. He couldn't cry anymore. He just lay there and stared at the wall with an empty expression. Blue mist shot from his mouth, and he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Dipstick." Danny didn't say a word; he just turned away a bit. "Now don't be like that, I'm tryin' to be nice here. It's not exactly my style, but I owe you one. Don't make me work at it, I don't have the patience." Danny chuckled hollowly.

"You don't owe me anything Ember. You told me he got out; I offered a safe place to stay. We're even." Ember sat down on the bed, gazing into the distance.

"Nah, kid. I owe you for not being _him_. If what you say is true, you'd be him now if you weren't tryin' not to be, and I owe you big for that." Danny remained silent. Ember sighed. "Look. I've seen that expression in humans before, kid. We're ghosts, fear comes with the territory. I'm not sayin' its right; it's just how things are. Even if they like us – heck, even if they love us – they'll always be scared. I mean, the things we can do, I can't blame them. It's scary stuff." Danny mumbled into his pillow. Ember quirked an eyebrow. "What was that, kid?" Danny turned around, green eyes blazing. Ember took an involuntary step back.

"It's not fair! I'm not like you! I'm _human_! People aren't supposed to be afraid of me!" The panes on the bedroom window cracked, and the light bulb exploded. "What am I, anyway? Even if they love me, once they know what I can do, everyone's scared of me! My friends, my family, ghosts, even _I'm_ scared of me! I don't fit in with humans, even if they all say I still am one, and I don't fit in with ghosts! Vlad's evil and alone, and maybe he deserves it. But Dani and I are good, and still alone!" Danny's voice turned sarcastic, as invisible energy pulsed out through the room, finishing the job on the window and sending shards of glass into the street. "All hail the mighty halfas, freaks of the universe! Not humans, not ghosts, too powerful to be with others, too human to live alone, feared and hated by everything in this dimension and the next! That's all we are! Freaks! Monsters! It's. Not. Fair!" Danny pounded on the bed in frustration, too upset to do anything else. Ember just watched sadly.

"I told ya, kid, fear's part of the deal. I can't make it go away, but try to remember that every ghost out there goes through the same thing. Even if most of us don't like you much for sticking up for the humans, we still know how it feels to have people you care about fear you. It's awful, and it's probably why most of us don't like humans much. I can't tell you it gets better, 'cause I'd be lyin', but I promise it gets easier to live with. Just give it time." Without another word, Ember drifted off into the house, invisible. Danny just lay there, completely drained, and stared at the wall some more. A while later there was a quiet knock on the door. Sam stepped in, frowning slightly.

"You know, for someone who wants to save this town, you don't seem to be working to hard." Danny managed a half smile at the light jibe, and turned to face his girlfriend.

"Are you afraid of me?" Sam's frown deepened, and she joined him, sitting down on the bed.

"I'm afraid of losing you. I'm afraid of you not wanting to be with me anymore. I'm afraid one day you'll stop caring. But I'm _not_ afraid you'll hurt me. I don't think you can. And I believe in you, Danny, despite my fears. I trust you. And your family does, too." Sam reached out and ran a hand through his hair. Finally, a single tear ran down the hybrid's face.

"But what if I can't save you? I'm not ready for this. He's too strong." Sam didn't move.

"I told you. I believe in you. You'll find a way. And not because of your powers. You're a strong person. On the inside. And that's much more important." Danny smiled.

"I love you, Sam." She smiled.

"I love you, too. That's why I'm not afraid." She grinned, and yanked him to his feet. "Now come on. An evil psycho version of you is loose in the Ghost Zone. It's time to get our butts in gear and batten down the hatches." Gripping his wrist, she pulled him back downstairs to the living room. Ember was once again sitting in her old chair, filing her nails. Seeing him enter, she shot him a significant look. Mouthing 'thanks' under his breath, Danny sat down and turned to face his family, plans forming frantically in his mind.

"Okay guys, I don't know how long it'll be before he shows up, but going after him would be pointless. He's too strong. I think we need to take the time we have to prepare and make our stand right here. Even if he tries to destroy the Ghost Zone, ectoplasm can take a major punch, so he won't be able to do too much permanent damage." Danny glanced apologetically at Ember, who just massaged her throat and nodded.

"Ember, I'd like you to recruit any half-decent ghosts you can think of to help. Mom, Dad, I need you guys to convince the mayor to act _now_. Set up a city ghost defense system. Try to get Valerie's dad in charge. I think he was in charge in the other future, and Amity was still standing, so he must be _very_ good. We'll need Valerie too." Danny coughed nervously. "You two will need to talk to her. Tell her what you think you should, but don't mention my secret unless you think she needs to know. I wanted to tell her myself eventually, but if you _have_ to say something, say it." Jack and Maddie nodded.

"Jazz, I need you to organize any willing locals into a volunteer backup team. You know people and lots of them respect you. Tell them what you have to, but don't cause a panic. You're good at psychology, I trust you to tell them just enough." Jazz smiled, slightly pale. Danny turned towards his girlfriend. "Sam. Get a hold of Tucker and have him remotely shut down Vlad's portal. Blow his house up if you have to, he doesn't have human staff and he's not home. Once its offline, evil me will only have one easy way out. He can make portals on his own, but I don't think he will. It's more entertaining to have a dramatic entrance, and he _loves_ drama. After that, you guys head back here and help mom and dad work on the house defenses." Sam nodded, and ran off, pulling out her cell phone. Maddie looked over at her son and smiled at his logo'd t-shirt.

"I'm really proud of you Danny. You know that, right?" Danny nodded, and smiled slightly.

"You guys should take off. The mayor isn't expecting anything like this, and the sooner you act, the faster things will go. He still isn't sure about me, so he'll probably put up a fight. Call the news, do whatever you have to, but we need that support or we can't win." Jack nodded.

"But what are you going to do?" Danny frowned.

"My powers have settled back down, but I don't really know what I can do now. Before he gets here, I'm going to find out." Nodding, everyone left in the room took off for their personal missions. Dani stayed behind, and looked at Danny, confused.

"What should I do?" Danny looked at her.

"Stay safe. I know you want to help, but I can't risk you melting. I don't want you to die." Dani frowned, and rushed over to her cousin and hugged him tight.

"I worry about you, too, you know." She whispered. "Your family really cares, but you understand me. Without you, I'll be all alone. Promise you won't leave me." Danny smiled sadly down at the terrified girl.

"I promise. Now go find a safe place." He pushed her gently. "Run."


	11. Missions

Hey, everybody!

God I love review people, you're just all so…review-ish…yeah. XD

A newcomer's welcome and all my prize candy to Arin Ross. Yes, 44678 is number code for GHOST. I know I've heard from the rest of you before, so welcome back! I love you all!

This one's a little shorter than average, but I blame the perfect ending point. It came a teeny bit too soon. But on the bright side, when my Writer's Block dissolved a chapter ago, it unleashed an unholy torrent of plot. I'm like three chapters ahead right now, and they're all the usual length. My fingers hurt…. ;D Anywho, the plot thickens. No Dan in this one, he's preoccupied with Skulker, poor thing. But I am LOVING where this thing is going now. Whole new places I didn't originally envision. Tie-ins and allusions galore! Basically this one is about what Danny's parents did on their mission to Axion and the Mayor's office. Have fun!

Bye! (I'm off to type another chapter or eight)

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 11 – Missions

Jack and Maddie sat down in the small waiting area outside the mayor's office, scowling in frustration. They'd just managed to schedule an appointment last night, but a 'paperwork error' had caused some delay. Some anonymous secretary was sitting back at her desk, reading a dated magazine and listening to some new-age music on a pair of headphones. They'd already been there for half an hour, and after the urgent message they'd delivered, this seemed almost criminal. That, and the incessant ticking from that pretentious grandfather clock was slowly driving them insane. Jack was still gazing forward in some stage of shock, despite his irritation. He had a job to do, but without the distraction, he couldn't stop images from flashing before his eyes. Vlad's accident, Vlad attacking his son, attacking him. Attack after attack after attack. There seemed to be no end to them. And under that…what? Resentment? Who did he resent? Jack groaned. Concerned, Maddie dropped her incredibly stale reading material and looked into her husband's eyes.

"Don't worry, Jack. I'm sure the mayor will see us soon. For now, why not try some more needlepoint?" Jack just shook his head, his threadwork lying forgotten by his side.

"That's not it Mads. I'm just confused, I guess." Maddie smiled softly at her husband.

"I can understand that. It's been a confusing few days. We've had to deal with one surprise after another. At least we've had a girl in the house before, so Dani isn't too much trouble. And really, no matter how she was 'born,' she's family, and there's really a connection there. But with Danny's ghost powers, Vlad's powers, all of these lies coming down…we've missed out on a lot, and it's a lot to handle." The huntress reached over her hands and gently clasped his. "I couldn't sleep for days after I found out. The guilt was just so horrible, I didn't know if I could live with myself. Finally, I talked with Danny about it. He didn't really tell me much that I couldn't figure out on my own, but it helped to hear him say them. I had some of the best sleep of my life yesterday. I'm still really tired, but…I'm just so glad I talked to him. Have you?" Jack shook his head, looking down. "Why not?" Her husband shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

"I don't think I can." He whispered slightly. Maddie quirked an eyebrow. "I…can't tell him. I feel bad about attacking him, but I would do the same for any ghost. I'm not dwelling on that, and I know he feels the same way. But that's not what's bothering me." Jack sighed, as Maddie tried to coax his problem out of him. "His powers are just so amazing. And I…I've been doing this for my whole life, and he's defeated more ghosts in the last month than I have in my entire life. And his…condition…it isn't replicable. The odds of it even working twice are amazing. I'm…" Jack sighed again. "I'm jealous. Of my own son. He can do things I never will, and I think I resent it. It's not that he's a ghost, I can live with that, I'm not insane. He's just so talented." The older man put his head in his hands. "I think I'm even jealous of _Vlad_. And he's _evil_. He's all alone, all he can do is hate and plot, and he never succeeds. And I'm jealous of that. What kind of horrible person am I?" Maddie frowned. Her husband wasn't usually this serious; he'd always had a sort of bounciness to him. A feeling that horrible things just couldn't touch him. That feeling was gone.

"You're a good man, Jack. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't think so. I'm amazed at what Danny can do. Some jealousy is understandable, and I know he'd understand, too. You should get this off your chest. After all, resentment is why Vlad is the way he is. Don't let things stew. We lost one of our best friends because of jealousy; don't make the same mistake he did. Talk to Danny, tell him how you feel. I know things will get better if you do." Jack just nodded, picking up his needlepoint. Maddie thought she saw a familiar logo in the stitching. With a small smile, she went back to her reading. Maybe her magazine would have tips on how to keep cookies from hovering.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton?" The two looked up from their distractions. The secretary was suddenly very busy with various office tasks as her immediate superior stepped inside. "Mayor Montez will see you now." Nodding, both hunters stood and followed the chief secretary to Montez's office. The mayor was sitting behind his desk, shuffling papers.

"Ah, yes, the Fentons. Your daughter was just in here yesterday afternoon, setting things up for the press. Did you have any last minute changes?" The two stared at the man for a moment, and then Maddie cleared her throat.

"Is that a joke? We left an urgent message with your office last night. Immediate action must be taken." The mayor narrowed his eyebrows.

"Last minute messages from citizens aren't exactly on the top of my priorities list, Mrs. Fenton. Running a city, especially with an ongoing ghost problem, is a very difficult task. I haven't even received your message yet. I heard about your visit in the break room, and took it on faith that you had a good reason to visit, so I hurried the process. But please don't assume I know everything, or anything." Jack frowned.

"Mayor, the city is in danger of a major ghost attack." Mr. Montez paused for a moment, setting the papers down.

"I see. I believe the last time this happened, no one had any warning. What changed?" The hunter coughed nervously.

"Err, a refugee made its way to our house. When questioned, it told us." Mayor Montez raised an eyebrow.

"So a ghost told you?" Maddie frowned, gripping the desk.

"I know it seems strange mayor, but the ghosts are afraid. And anything that's a threat to _them_ can't be good." Montez frowned.

"Oh? Phantom's a threat to them. My own reservations aside, if he _is_ helping us, then that would put a slight hole in that theory." Now Jack scowled.

"Maddie and I both think Phantom is on our side. The evidence all supports that, and we're not too proud to admit we're wrong. But that doesn't mean we're wrong about this. Back during the last ghost invasion, the attack was lead by refugees. If scared ghosts are coming here, what's after them is a massive threat." Montez stood.

"But ghosts _can't_ come here. The footage said that plain as day! If it's as true as you say, there is no threat." Both hunters stood.

"That won't stop this one! Steps must be taken. Now, before it's too late! We must have access to the utility network to set up a ghost defense and security system. We might not have time as it is, but all this red tape is just making everything harder!" Mayor Montez glowered up at the irate ghost hunters.

"I won't actively support this. The costs will be obscene. However," he held up a hand to stop the two red-faced guests from blowing his ears out, "I won't stop you. You have your access. Just don't expect me to pay for this. That is all." Montez dropped back into his chair and resumed sorting papers. Nodding brusquely, Maddie quickly pulled a still red Jack out of the room.

"Come on Jack. Let's get to work. I know the mayor wasn't too helpful, but he's just covering himself. He let us have what we wanted. Now we need to go see Mr. Gray." Jack just followed her to the car, slipping into the passenger side as Maddie took the wheel and whipped out a cell phone.

"Hello, Axion Labs? Yes, this is Maddie Fenton; I'm calling because I need to speak to Mr. Damon Gray. It's urgent. Yes, I'll hold…Damon? Yes, this is Maddie Fenton. I need to speak to you immediately. It's very important. No, as far as I know, your daughter is fine. No, she isn't in jail. No, her secret is still safe. I'll explain everything when we get to there. Yes, we're coming right now. Alright, we'll meet you at the main gate in five minutes. Thanks. Bye." Maddie casually tossed the phone over her shoulder and floored it. Jack jerked back in his seat and accidentally poked his finger with his needle.

"Aw, Maddie! Calm down, you're driving like a maniac." Mrs. Fenton just shot her husband an amused look and returned her eyes to the road. Even at the speeds they were going, they only just made it to the gate in time. Damon Gray waved them in and hopped in back for the ride over to the company lot.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Jack frowned.

"Ghosts." The security officer rolled his eyes.

"Of course. Why else?" Maddie frowned thoughtfully.

"Mr. Gray, Jack and I are very sorry for everything that's happened to you in the last year. If there is any way we can help make amends for that fiasco with Phantom…" Damon raised his hand.

"Don't worry about it, what's past is past. I was upset to lose my job, but to be honest, Phantom already helped turn things around." Jack and Maddie quirked an eyebrow. "About two weeks after the accident, he showed up at my small new office. I gotta tell you, I was scared out of my mind, and more than a little angry at him for what he'd done. Even though I knew it probably wouldn't work, I pulled my gun on him. He didn't even move. He just sat there, looking ashamed, and," Damon looked up, "he _apologized_. I never thought ghosts would do something like that. He told me some story about the old kennel in the basement and a ghost dog, and how he wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Up until Dalv corp. bought out controlling stock, he actually showed up and helped me set up ghost shielding technology. I don't know how he got the parts or knew how they worked, but the extra security he helped me put together got me my old job back." Damon sighed. "I know Valerie hated him for a long time. I even tried to stop her from ghost hunting by locking up her suit. Not just for him, of course, but for her own safety. But she somehow managed to get a new one somewhere. She told me a ghost made it, and it fell apart later. I couldn't find a trace of it. If I had, I would have tried much harder to set her straight. Phantom doesn't deserve that. For a ghost, he's a pretty incredible person." Maddie smiled softly as she pulled into a parking space.

"Yeah, he sure is." She froze. "Wait, _Dalv_ owns this place?" Damon nodded, confused.

"Yeah, Phantom stopped coming around after that. Some top secret nanobot project was stolen a few months ago, and a week later, there was a corporate buyout. Since then, there have been lots of changes. A lot of our R&D budget has been siphoned over into the ghost weapons division. Whoever owns Dalv must think that local demand will make it worthwhile or something. And anti-ghost security has been upgraded several times. Especially where Phantom was concerned. My division was given a memo that Phantom would likely attempt to steal Dalv information and research, and to apprehend him on sight. He did show up once, and did steal a prototype thruster." Damon frowned. "I followed my orders to the best of my ability. Even if he'd helped me out, he had no right to steal. If you run into him, tell him I'd like an explanation." Jack frowned.

"Actually, he wanted us to come talk to _you_. He came to us asking for help. There's a powerful evil ghost heading for Amity Park right now, and we need to set up a ghost security system for the entire town as quickly as possible. He told us you were very good at that sort of stuff, and we should get you to help." Damon frowned.

"I don't see why he'd pick me; I've never done anything like that. Sure, he helped me make ghost systems for Axion, but I didn't know what I was doing, I just followed his instructions and took the credit." Maddie looked back and the confused man.

"He has his reasons; it's just hard to explain right now. Besides, you seemed pretty capable during that invasion. Will you help us?" Damon frowned.

"I'll need approval from the higher-ups, but since Dalv hasn't sent down any of its usual instructions this week, they'll probably play this by ear and let me go. I'll grab as many anti-ghost products as I can to help." The man jogged inside and left the Fentons in the RV, waiting.

"Maddie, isn't Dalv…" She nodded.

"Yes, Jack. Dalv is the front company Vlad set up to run his schemes. Danny will probably tell Damon the truth later on, but for now it's probably best not to upset him. Imagine, that monster put his whole family at risk just to get to Danny. Especially Valerie." Jack snorted.

"Right now, I'm willing to believe almost anything of Vlad. After all Danny's told us…" Jack sighed. "I think I'll always remember how much fun we had together, though. I'll miss him." Maddie nodded sadly.

"Me, too." The couple was broken from their reverie as Damon came jogging back out.

"I convinced them to give me a personal day. And I brought these." The guard unloaded his arms, dropping several complex devices in the seat beside him. With a boyish squeal, Jack frantically rooted through the pile and pulled out random devices, babbling excitedly about what they could do. Maddie smiled to herself, glad her husband was feeling a bit better. Damon looked up, frowning. "Now what?" Mrs. Fenton shook her head as she took to the road again.

"I don't know for sure. Da-err, Phantom said we should put you in charge of the city defenses. But…" She hesitated. "He also said we'll need Valerie's help." Damon's face hardened.

"No. No way. I am not putting my little girl in harms way. End of discussion." Maddie opened her mouth, but Damon raised his hand quickly. "I don't want to hear it. If Phantom placed me in charge of the defense, I can say that Val isn't going to be part of it. And since I _am_, in charge of security," he growled, "the first thing I want to do is meet the 'boss.' I'm inclined to trust Phantom, especially after that footage Val took, and everything he did for me. But I'm not about to set up a powerful weapons network he could use to his advantage until I'm _absolutely_ sure he's on our side." Jack opened his mouth to defend his son, but quickly shut it. There was nothing he could say to convince Damon otherwise.

"Alright. Maddie, let's go home." Nodding, Mrs. Fenton took the next exit and rocketed off towards Fenton Works.

The couple arrived home ten minutes later. Jazz had the door open and the automatic defenses suspended before they got to the step. Damon shot the girl a look. She just shrugged.

"Impending doom struck me as a pretty good reason to miss a day of school. Mom and dad called this morning and excused us. Besides, I have my own project to help with, and I need time." The older girl gestured for them to head towards the kitchen. "Lunch?" Nodding, the three went over to the table and sat down. Danny was leaning back at the table, eyes closed and breathing evenly. But at the sound of a chair leg moving, one eye creaked open, and he sat up. His hair was plastered to his head with sweat, and he looked exhausted.

"Hey." He panted, as Jazz used the normal microwave to cook hotdogs. Damon stared.

"Good heavens, are you alright?" Danny just nodded.

"Yeah. I-er, Phantom's just been down in the lab since yesterday, getting ready for the attack. Um, I've been helping him test his limits a bit. It's, err, really tiring." Maddie looked over at him with concern.

"Why don't you go upstairs and rest, dear. I'm sure we'll manage fine for a few hours." Danny nodded mutely, and started to trudge upstairs. Damon nodded.

"Yes, you can't be expected to keep up with a ghost, kid. You need your rest." Jazz raised an eyebrow behind Damon's head, and Danny managed a tired smirk as he left the room. The guard cleared his throat. "While I'm thinking of it, I should probably head downstairs and talk with Phantom. We have some catching up to do." Danny froze halfway up the stairs and groaned. Jack and Maddie both winced slightly and sent mental cries of pity to their poor exhausted son. Jazz just sighed, and passed out the franks.

"Why don't you eat first? I'm sure Phantom will want some time to get himself cleaned up after that long of a workout." Sending as much gratitude as he could at his sister with one gaze, Danny rushed upstairs and into the shower. Damon paused thoughtfully.

"I suppose. Have any mustard?" Maddie nodded, and went over to the fridge.

"Nice cover," she whispered discretely at her daughter.

"I've had practice," she muttered back. Out loud, "Okay, Mr. Gray, are you willing to help out?" Damon swallowed his bit of hot dog and sipped a soda.

"Like I told your parents, I'm not making promises 'till I talk with Phantom. I have a few questions I need to ask him, and if I don't like the answers, you're on your own." Jazz nodded; satisfied that he seemed willing to keep an open mind. Damon polished off the hot dog, and stood. The others moved to follow him. "Right, so Phantom's in the lab. Let's go." Mr. Gray and the Fentons walked through the messy kitchen, leaving Jazz behind to clean up.

"Thank a lot! This is _exactly_ how I planned to help out."


	12. Drills

Hi!

This is a bit early, but I'm WAY ahead, and I wanted to get ahead of the weekend rush. Thanks to all reviewers once again, I love you. In a healthy way, of course. Newcomer's welcome to Lizeth, and props for reading EVERYTHING in one day. Cheers!

Also, I'm not sure if you guys are having this problem, but my e-mail isn't giving me my reviews or my other messages. So if you've tried to send me a private message, I didn't get it. In case this is a common problem, I've responded to EVERYONE, I think. I swear. Is anyone else having this problem:(

LOONG Chapters ahead. Setup stuff for lots of players. Right now, it looks like this will finish off with 16 chapters, just like Complications. Of course, these chapters have been longer, so...meh.

Hope you like it!

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 12 – Drills

Jack Maddie and Damon stepped down into the lab and froze, gasping. It looked like a major ghost attack had come through. Scorch marks covered the steel walls, and the firm metal even seemed to have melted slightly in some places. Twisted, warped sheets of metal were strewn throughout the basement, riddled with punch and kick marks. The only things that seemed unharmed were the essential security equipment, the weapons vault, and the portal. Checking cautiously for the ghost responsible, the trio gave a brief start and almost opened fire when Phantom came floating down through the ceiling, looking tired but refreshed. Following their gaze around the lab, he seemed to turn red, and scratched his head awkwardly.

"Err, sorry about the mess. I didn't blow up anything important, right?" He asked anxiously. The three gawked at the floating ghost, realization dawning.

"_You_ did all this?" Damon gestured around the lab, taking in the remains of the equipment and shelving. The ghost boy nodded mutely.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry again, I just needed to find out what I could do if I really worked at it. I remember what the _other_ one could do before, and I'm trying to figure out how much help I'll need." Damon just stared at a particularly thick sheet of steel shelving, with a hole punched right through it. Danny blushed again. "Okay, that one hurt. And I don't think I could do it again." He just kept staring. The ghost boy sighed, settling onto the floor. "You, uh, wanted something?" Gray finally snapped out of it, and turned to Phantom, calm and businesslike.

"Yes. First off, this isn't really the best impression. The Fentons are helping you, and you return the favor by trashing their stuff." Phantom chuckled sheepishly at that.

"I had permission." The guard froze for a moment, and turned to Jack for confirmation. He just nodded, still looking around.

"Oh." He said simply. "Fine. Second, what's going on? I'm inclined to trust you, but until I know the whole story, _including_ why you robbed me after all that help you gave me, I can't in good conscience give you weapons." Danny nodded at that.

"That makes perfect sense. The reason I was at Axion that day was because a ghost named Technus had invaded your mainframe and was trying to use it to take over the internet and rule the world. By the time I got there, he'd broken your security code and had beamed himself to that satellite thing you had. I needed to borrow that suit to get up there and stop him." Damon nodded.

"That makes sense, but why would Dalv send down warnings that you intended to steal our stuff? You actually stealing our stuff after that doesn't exactly speak highly of you." The ghost boy's eyes flared briefly at that.

"I have a bad history with the guy in charge of Dalv. He works with a lot of evil ghosts, and uses the front company to make new weapons to help them defeat me and further his own schemes. He probably said that so I couldn't get close enough to warn you if I chose to. The way things were he didn't have to bother. It would have been too risky to tell you. He'd just have you killed, or worse. He's the guy who gave Valerie her ghost-hunting suit, and I had no way of knowing if he'd planted anything on her so he could take her hostage or kill her remotely." Damon paled at that. "Don't worry; he's out of the picture for a while, so you and Valerie are safe. I just couldn't do anything then. I'm sorry you were in so much danger because of me." He mumbled, quietly. "As for what's going on now, a very powerful, evil ghost is coming here. I don't know when, but it'll probably be soon. He sees me and Valerie as threats, so he'll make this town a priority." Damon looked at him for a moment, then nodded curtly.

"Fine, I'm satisfied and I'll help you. But leave Valerie out of this. I'm not putting her in danger like that." Phantom seemed amused by that for some reason.

"You think I want her in danger? It's more like neither of us could stop her if we tried. The second word reaches her about this; she'll come flying in, guns blazing. Between you and me, I'd rather she came in knowing who's on what side and what she's fighting. Otherwise, she might put everyone in danger, including herself." Damon scowled a bit at that, but finally agreed.

"I'll call her after school." Danny shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Some…allies of mine have probably already talked to her at school. She'll come straight here after it lets out. Was there anything else?" Damon shook his head, and went over to the security mainframe. He chuckled.

"It's funny, you know. I had a relative or two who were big into the paranormal too, a century or so ago, back when that wasn't so unusual. You should hear some stories about my great-great-grandfather Dorian." Damon winced. "The family gave that stuff up a long time ago, though. I'd be surprised if Valerie knows, I only heard occasional stories from my grandfather, and he passed years ago. Yet here I am, the first in a long line of 'normal' Grays, back in the ghost business. My ancestors would be thrilled." Damon silently went back to work, rerouting the information networks into the city grid, preparing various hubs to transmit ghost-shield energy or detector information. "You'd think after all the attacks, the city would have done something like this before. You know, a city-wide shield dome. I suppose it's the funding. The design will be pretty easy to figure out." Jack and Maddie walked over to his work and watched.

"So we're going to beef up the Fenton Works ghost shield with boosters throughout the city?" Damon shook his head.

"No, I have another idea. That would create a stronger barrier, but it would open the city to direct attacks from the portal. I was thinking that we should leave the Fenton Shield independent, to protect the city _outside_ of it from the portal. We'll have to give it a redundant generator and power source outside the dome in case there's a breach. That way, the shields can protect us from outside and inside attacks. The city dome should be powered by another set of generators. Maybe a ring along the perimeter of the city, placed where the redundant power lines link up for extra safety." Damon pulled up a city schematic and pointed out a set of points at regular intervals around the outside of the city, where outbound power lines met a ring, which provided several possible independent power sources. "Making a single large shield would probably be faster, but it would also be more vulnerable. Even before the merger with Axion, Dalv gave us a research contract to develop a set of shield generators that work for ghosts or humans. We can 'borrow' some and rig them to work in conjunction. The dome they make will be much stronger and more durable. If we survive this, I'm going to petition the mayor's office to make these permanent installations. Until then, we're on our own and we'll just have to get by with a blowtorch and duct tape." Grinning down at the design, Jack nodded eagerly.

"That would be awesome! Independent anti-ghost weapons towers around the city with shield generators! I like the way you think Gray! Let's head back to Axion and start setting up the smaller generators. Maddie, you get the big spare one and install it outside Fenton Works to back up our own shield. To the Assault Vehicle!" Gripping Damon's hand, Jack dragged the poor man back towards his office to 'acquire' more technology. Maddie turned towards Danny as he sagged down on the floor.

"You really worked hard today, huh?" Danny nodded, gasping. "Well, did you learn anything new?" He looked up, looking a bit nervous but pleased.

"I think merging with Vlad in the other reality did more to hurt me in the long run. This power boost didn't happen to the other me, I'm sure of it. It might even be why I got the Ghostly Wail so soon, I don't know. But…" Danny started ticking things off. "I know I can split myself into three separate bodies with effort, but two pretty easily. I can disguise how I look if I really focus." Danny closed his eyes and his form seemed to waver, then took on Tucker's appearance. "I can't do voices yet and I usually lose control after ten or fifteen minutes," he said as he let the disguise drop, "but I can do the eye color, which I know I couldn't pull off before, even when I overshadowed people. I can teleport about the entire length of this town in one jump if I try, but I can't go as far when I carry stuff. There's probably a relationship there, but I'm not really that good at math. You two could probably figure it out later." Maddie nodded. "I can use the Ghostly Wail without losing all of my other powers, but it still tires me out a _lot_, and," Danny glared at a still-solid beaker and a green ray shot from his eyes, melting it. "I can do that. It hurts my eyes, but I think it's hotter than my ecto-blasts, if not as powerful." Maddie sat down and looked at her son.

"Anything else?" Danny shook his head.

"Nothing I can control. I think I accidentally did _something_ a few times this week when I was upset, but I can't do it when I try. I made a table float once, and a few other things. I've seen other ghosts do stuff like that, but I can't figure it out. If we survive this, I'll probably be great at parties." Maddie chuckled despite the serious situation.

"How's Dani doing?" Danny frowned.

"I don't know. We argued at breakfast today, and she turned into a green mist. I thought she'd finally fallen apart, but it was just a power slip. Evil me could turn into ectoplasmic mist and back again at will, and I guess she's developing that right now. Just one more thing she can do that I can't." He shrugged. "Still, this is too dangerous for her. I won't let her get killed trying to fight him, it would take too much of her power." Maddie nodded. "She's hanging out in my lair with Ember for now. They'll probably hide out in there for the whole fight, or at least until I go get them." Maddie quirked an eyebrow.

"Ember's back?" Danny nodded, upset.

"Not a single ghost. She looked everywhere, but the ghosts seem to be hiding. Whether somewhere in the ghost zone or on the human world, I don't know. But their lairs are empty. She even tried to get _Skulker_ to help out, but his island…" Danny gulped. "It was completely trashed. Craters and scorch marks everywhere. If he's still there, he's scared, and he's hiding. After she saw that, she gave up and hurried back before _he_ found her again. Ember's the only ghost we have, but her musical powers have been damaged. She's probably more at risk than Dani is." Danny looked down and shook his head. Maddie frowned, then got back to business.

"Alright Danny, you know what your father wants. Would you please grab the secondary generator and carry it outside?" Danny nodded, and tucked the bulky metal construct under his arm, leaning slightly with the weight, and started towards the stairs. After the first step, the wooden stair collapsed under the strain. Danny stared down bemusedly. Maddie chuckled, looking at the lift she had meant he use when she asked him to grab it.

"It weighs at least half a ton, sweetie, it's too heavy for the stairs." Blushing slightly, Danny turned intangible and flew it out, dropping it off outside the marked shield perimeter. Maddie stepped outside about a minute later, giving her son an odd look. Danny scratched his head nervously.

"What? I punch through a three inch steel plate and you're surprised I can lift a half-ton generator?" Maddie just shook her head.

"It's just unusual Danny. That's all. How'd you manage to punch that plate anyway? That seemed a bit much, even for a ghost with your energy level." Danny shrugged, looking equally confused as Maddie started fiddling with the wires. Their back yard filled with a light whirring noise as she calibrated the generator to back up the one inside the house.

"I don't really know. By the time I got to that one, I was pretty tired. I tried to think of some motivation, and I remembered this talk I had with Sam's parents the other day." Danny's look darkened, and a nearby street-lamp cracked. "Her parents are jerks. I know you should respect your elders, but they are. When I thought about the things they _said_, I just got so mad, I-" Energy pulsed out, and the grass within a three-foot radius of the ghost boy burned black. "Did that." He finished sheepishly. Maddie smiled slightly.

"Normally I'd give you some lecture about respect like you said, but I think you're old enough now to make up your own mind about people, and I trust your judgment." She said, as she tinkered with the generator some more. "Besides, I think they're jerks too."

Danny stared at his mother for a moment, then fell back laughing, phased halfway into the ground. Maddie looked over at him and quirked an eyebrow, smiling. Powering up the generator, she watched with satisfaction as it perfectly mimicked where the other shield would be. Shutting it back off, she went over to her son and pulled him up out of the ground. Danny quickly changed back and the two started back inside, hand in hand. Settling down in the kitchen, the two leaned back to take a much-needed break. Maddie picked up a note left on the table.

_Mom,_

_Gone 'recruiting' downtown, back by 3:45. Remember, the local news is STILL coming by for that interview at about 4. They want to talk to the whole family about Phantom. I thought about cancelling, but figured we could use this to warn the public in a responsible manner. Make sure Danny gets some rest, I think he had about 4 hours last night, and that was just because he didn't want to wake you up while he was working out downstairs, or whatever he was doing. If you want to cancel, phone me so I can stay out longer._

_XOXO_

_Jazz_

"Oh no. I completely forgot!" Danny looked up at her, confused. "The press is coming here at four to interview the family about Phantom." Danny's eyes widened.

"Cancel!" Maddie shook her head, frowning.

"Love to, but we shouldn't." Danny quirked an eyebrow. "The public needs to be warned about the ghost situation in a calm, reasonable manner. The mayor won't say anything in case we're wrong, so this might be our only chance. I know it'll be dangerous and awkward, but it's worth it if it might save countless lives." Danny nodded mutely. Maddie looked over at him. "You go to bed and get some sleep. You might be a superhero, but you need your sleep. And no phasing out to work some more, I'm going to check. You need your rest, and this might be your last chance." Sighing, Danny nodded again and trudged upstairs to collapse into bed.

Dan flew through the ghost zone, crippling or destroying any ghost foolish enough to come out of hiding. He'd thoroughly enjoyed hunting Skulker. To be honest, he wasn't sure if the creature existed anymore, not that he really cared. That one had been a major thorn in his side in his timeline, and it was better to nip such things in the bud as soon as possible. Speaking of that, he had been 'questioning' old friends for hours now and there was still no sign of Vlad. At least in his reality he'd left Johnny the use of his arms. But he was losing patience, and that tended to make him a touch more violent. Grumbling to himself, the powerful ghost turned and decided to act on his last option; he was going to the Plasmius portal and Vlad's Wisconsin estate. He knew Vlad had ecto-shielding in place to prevent government detection, but a ghost as powerful as he was would probably leak through and alert the Guys in White. Not that they were a real threat, but he didn't want them to have any advance warning. Ghosts might not be able to reach Amity Park, but humans talked, and he did NOT want Danny to know he had escaped.

Floating along, Dan spotted the all-too-familiar floating football. Smirking, the dark spirit pushed it roughly aside to reveal…

Nothing. The portal was gone! Had Vlad been taken into GW custody? Unlikely, those dolts were annoying at best, especially at this time period. They hadn't gotten any real technology in his universe until they bought out Dalv, and that wasn't supposed to happen for a good while yet. No, something had happened to Vlad, and whatever it was, the old ghost was out of the picture. There was no other explanation he could think of. Grumbling, Dan took off back into the Ghost Zone. He had a few more 'friends' to catch up with, a few more afterlives to destroy. And he might still hear _something_. His current explanation was sadly lacking. He might not be out to get something, but he was no idiot. If he wanted to destroy the world unopposed, he needed all threats removed, and an unknown is never a good thing. Besides, no matter how many ghosts he attacked, Danny wouldn't hear a thing.

Sam Tucker and Valerie all left school together. Walking towards Fenton Works, Valerie shot the two a look. "What were you guys doing the last hour anyway?"

"Blowing up a building." Tucker mumbled, still a little upset at himself for actually _doing_ it, even if no one was hurt. Sam elbowed him in the ribs.

"We were taking care of something for Phantom. And thanks again for coming to help." Valerie frowned slightly.

"I don't really trust him yet, Sam. And I'm not sure I'm ready to see him. But you said my dad is in on this, and Danny is too. Right?" She shot Sam a piercing look.

"Right, right! Da-Phantom wanted your dad to work on citywide ghost security, and Danny is helping him…with stuff. Important stuff." Valerie looked down as the three walked.

"But why would he want _me_ to help? I've been doin' nothing but hold him back for almost a year." Tucker grabbed her hand and squeezed comfortingly. Sam smiled, and took a deep breath. Who knew she'd ever be trying to point out Valerie's _good_ qualities?

"Yeah, but you're a great ghost hunter. You've got a lot of talent. Phantom says this ghost is really tough, so he'll need all the help he can get. Besides, after all you've been through, you _belong_ on the front line protecting the town, just like you always wanted." Val looked over and smiled.

"Thanks for that, Sam. I know I've done more harm than good, but I really want to help. I just hope you two and Danny don't feel too left out when the fighting starts." Tucker smirked slightly.

"Don't worry, Val. I'm sure it won't be a problem. We'll just help any way we can." The couple walked up to the house, hand in hand, Sam trailing slightly behind. Once inside, the trio went into the living room, where Maddie was already waiting. The older woman smiled.

"Thanks for coming. Sam, Tucker, did you finish your own project?" Tucker nodded, looking slightly sick. Maddie paled. "You didn't have to-" Sam nodded too, and Tucker fell back into a lounge chair. "I'm so sorry. But remember, no-one was there, so it's fine." Tucker just lay there, massaging his head. Maddie frowned at the poor boy and stood up. "Valerie, why don't you sit down with Tucker? Sam, we should probably go get some sodas." Valerie sat beside her boyfriend and draped a comforting hand over his shoulder. She might not know what was going on, but she knew he needed her. Tucker just shook slightly, and held her hand. Sam and Maddie both frowned as they walked into the kitchen.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Maddie looked over at the pale girl and nodded.

"Yes, he'll be fine. It was a dangerous, terrible thing you two had to do, but Tucker was the only one of us who could have hacked into that house. You know that." Sam nodded silently.

"I just don't know why Danny wanted me to help." Maddie reached into the fridge and pulled out sodas.

"Probably so Tucker wouldn't have to do it alone." The older woman sighed. "Are you okay?" Sam shrugged.

"I didn't have to push the button. And no one got hurt. I'll be fine. What about you?" Sam asked, turning towards Maddie. "Worried?" Maddie chuckled hollowly.

"My son can carry a half-ton weight under one arm and melts things with his eyes. What exactly am I supposed to worry about?" Jazz burst the door open, panting, and ran into the kitchen.

"The press is here!"


	13. Sides

Hi!

I'm overjoyed that the e-mail system seems to be working once again. If it's working for you all as well, you have received my individual, personalized thank-you's for each review. I'm pretty sure I responded to all of them; I'm not used to using the review list on the site to check. Sorry if I missed you!

Newcomer welcome to Call Me Blue Streak. If you haven't seen my oh-so-subtle allusions, I too bow down to the mighty Irkan Zim. Or at least Gir. But he tells me to obey Zim, so I do. XD

One last announcement. After seeing it on almost every other profile, and a few very understandable misconceptions (Seriously, it happens all the time…to me. No big deal) I have updated my own profile with some personal information. I'm one hundred percent serious about the Miyazaki plug. You owe it to yourself to watch his stuff. Also, for those of you who might read these but not have an account HERE, I have decided to expand to DeviantArt under the same username to try and increase the number of critical readers I get. Also, I'm sick of being barred from any moderately graphic (violent) images in ongoing comics there, so I just had to get an account and end that particular stupidity once and for all.

Anyway, here's that press interview. In THIS story, Danny's secret ISN"T out, so it makes things rather awkward. Muahahaha! Also, this is a VERY long chapter.

Later!

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 13 – Sides

Valerie stood up in shock so fast Tucker fell off her lap onto the floor. "What?" Jazz looked over at the huntress.

"Oh, hey Val. Yeah, the press scheduled a conference today to get mom and dad's take on that video footage you gave them." Valerie paled as her scowling boyfriend climbed back up into the seat.

"But what am _I_ supposed to do? And what about Sam and Tucker?" Jazz shrugged.

"I guess you'll sit in if they want. I don't really know." The older girl looked around. "Where's dad?" Maddie groaned, plopping down in the seat beside them. Sam silently passed out sodas and looked around for a chair.

"He's out with Damon, setting up perimeter shields. I'd call him in, but that's a lot more important. We'll just tell the press that something came up." Jazz frowned.

"Okay, but they probably won't be too happy. What about Danny?" The older girl jerked her eyes downstairs. Maddie shook her head.

"He's up in his room, getting some sleep. Sam, would you go wake him? Tell him the press showed up a little early." Sam nodded from where she stood and started upstairs. The doorbell rang. With one last sigh, Maddie got up and walked over to the door. Fixing on a smile, she opened it up to let in a beaming anchor lady.

"Hi there, I'm Tiffany Snow. First off, I'm so glad you and your family agreed to do this, and I hope to take up as little of your time as possible." Slightly frightened by the creepy Hollywood grin, Maddie backed up and led Tiffany into the living room. "And who might you all be?" The older woman cleared her throat, trying to stay cheerful.

"Well that's Valerie Gray and her, uh, friend Tucker. They're both friends of my son Danny. And you've already met my daughter Jazz." Practically radiating cheer, Miss Snow reached out and shook all their hands vigorously.

"I'm _so_ pleased to meet you all. And where is the rest of the family?" Jazz smiled back.

"My brother Danny is upstairs resting. Sam went up to wake him." Snow nodded.

"I see. And this Sam is another friend of Danny's then? My, isn't he popular." Maddie smiled.

"Yes, she's a great friend. They're very close." The anchoress paused.

"She? Oh." The woman took a brief note, smirking. "And Mr. Fenton is…"

"Out on business." Snow's smile vanished.

"What?" Maddie nodded, concerned at the sudden shift.

"Yes, he's out on business with Valerie's father. They won't be back for sometime. If that's a problem, we" Tiffany raised a hand.

"No, no problem." Her lips never moving, she furiously scratched off half a page of questions. Maybe she could play off of Danny's friends a bit, get the younger generations'' view on Phantom…

"Is there anything we can do?" Tiffany shook her head, once more smiling, as her crew set up in the living room. Danny and Sam slowly made their way downstairs.

"No, no. Everything's fine. We might have to change a few questions without mister Fenton here, but that's life!" The woman's eyes lit up again as Danny and Sam made their way into the room and sat down next to Val and Tucker. "Ah, and this must be Danny! I hope you had a nice rest. Please, sit down. If we can, I'd like to start asking questions in a minute or so." Nodding, everyone sat on the couch, and Tiffany motioned a crewman to move a comfortable lounge chair in at an angle. Briefly checking her makeup, Tiffany reviewed the positions on the couch. "Mrs. Fenton, if you and Jazz could switch places, I think it will balance the shot better." Shrugging, Maddie moved to Jazz's left, leaving her daughter on the end of the couch. On Maddie's left were Danny, then Sam, Tucker, and Valerie. "Yes, much better. Well, let's begin, shall we?" After a brief uncertain nod from everyone, Tiffany turned and smiled into the camera. A few silent moments passed, and the crewman nodded as a red light came on.

"Hello Amity Park. This is Channel five's Tiffany Snow. I'm coming to you _live_ from the home of Jack and Maddie Fenton, Amity Parks' own local ghost experts." Snow turned towards Maddie and flashed her dazzling smile. "Mrs. Fenton, may I call you Maddie?" She nodded. "Maddie, we all know I'm here about Phantom. But first, why not tell us a little about your family. Credentials, day-to-day…" Maddie nodded, looking a bit flustered. She hadn't known it was a _live_ interview.

"Well, my husband Jack and I graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Parapsychology. The two of us spent several years doing privately funded research under a University grant, wrote several joint papers, and with the aid of an associate, Mr. Vlad Masters, successfully developed a device to transmit matter and energy into and out of the Ghost Dimension. We moved to Amity Park to take advantage of a natural weak point in the barrier between the human world and Ghost Zone. Under extremely tight security, we managed last year after years of effort to open a permanent gate between the two dimensions, so we could capture and study ghosts with relative ease." Maddie paused and turned towards the camera.

"I would like to take a moment to give an official announcement to clear up any confusion. While the portal has accidentally released ghosts onto our plane on several occasions, almost all ghost attacks on the city originated elsewhere. The portal is sealed shut at all times except during research, and we keep our basement lab well insulated." Tiffany nodded.

"I'm sure we can all appreciate your precautions, Maddie. And on the subject of ghost attacks, I was curious if you would give us some random trivia. How many ghosts have come to Amity Park in the last year?" Maddie opened her mouth to explain how that was impossible to know.

"Six hundred thirty seven." Danny said absently, and then paused, closing his mouth. Miss Snow turned to favor him with a curious look.

"This would be Danny, Maddie and Jack Fenton's son, with some close personal friends. So you say the town has been invaded by six hundred thirty seven ghosts. You seem to know a lot about your parent's activities." Danny gulped.

"Well, I'm a big fan of what they do for the town, and, uh, I like to know that stuff so I can stick up for their…reputations." Tiffany smiled.

"I see. Well I'm sure as interested as you are; you've heard your parents talk about Phantom." Danny paled slightly. "I was wondering, what sort of reactions you kids had to that tape the Red Huntress gave the press? I mean, before we receive a _professional's_ opinion." Danny gulped.

"Uh, well," Sam nudged him slightly.

"I think Phantom has been misunderstood and underappreciated all this time. He's been working very hard to protect us, and deserves our trust and thanks." Tucker and Jazz nodded. Valerie just shifted, looking uncomfortable.

"Well you seem outspoken." Tiffany said cheerfully. "You would be Danny's friend Sam, right?" Sam nodded, frowning. "That's really _sweet_ of you to want to be here with him for this." Snow turned towards Tucker. "And you agree with her. My, all of you seem to be big fans of Phantom." She turned towards Miss Gray. "And what about you, dear? Think Phantom is a hero?" Valerie scowled. "Oh, you don't think so?"

"I didn't say that!" Valerie snapped, uncomfortable. "Why don't you ask _him_?" She mumbled, upset. "The Fentons have him at the house." Jazz gasped, and everyone else lost the color in their faces. Tiffany seemed shocked speechless, but quickly recovered. She whipped her head towards Maddie.

"Phantom is _here_? Well Mrs. Fenton, why didn't you say something? An interview with Phantom himself! Go get him, I'm sure he'd _love_ a chance to clear his name live."

"Wanna bet?" Danny mumbled to himself. Maddie's frightened eyes flashed, and suddenly she sent Danny a sly glance.

"Danny. You heard the nice woman. Be a dear and bring Phantom to join us." Danny shot his mother a confused and _very_ frightened look. "Double time, dear." She said in a meaningful, almost sing-song voice. Something clicked in his head, and his eyes lit with desperate hope.

"Right. I'll be right back." The only two on the couch that weren't completely dumbfounded were Maddie and Valerie. Sam and Tucker just shot each other panicked looks and Tucker discreetly started trying to hack their broadcast transmitter. If worst came to worst, at least no on _else_ would find out. A minute later the two friends almost passed out from shock as Danny Fenton and Phantom _both_ walked in. Danny seemed to have a slightly glazed look on his face, as if he weren't completely paying attention, or was focusing intently on something. Phantom for his part looked nervous and slightly strained, but managed a half-smile at Tiffany.

"Um…hi." Tiffany seemed slightly shocked. Maybe she didn't think he was really there. Tucker was poking Danny in the arm gently, with similar doubts.

"Mr.…Phantom. How nice. I suppose I'll just ask the obvious question. Are you evil?" Phantom froze at this, torn between amusement and embarrassment.

"Err, no. I'm not evil. Everything on that tape was true. I'm just glad someone snuck in and caught that. Wherever the Red Huntress is, I want her to know I'm grateful, and that I understand why she hunted me. I hope we can work together now." Valerie was slightly red. Phantom shifted in his seat. "I really can't stay long, did you have another question?" Startled, Miss Snow nodded quickly, dropping her steno pad.

"Yes! Oh, um, well, is it true that ghosts can't come to Amity Park anymore?" Phantom frowned.

"Not quite. Ghosts have their own set of laws, rules they can't break, stuff like that. I've 'lived' here for a year, so as far as they're concerned, I own this town." Tiffany started, and Phantom hastily explained. "I don't mean I'm trying to control you, or run your lives. It's more like a house deed, or something. Other ghosts can't come here without an invitation from either me, or someone else that lives here." He turned towards the camera. "It is very important that you don't invite ghosts into this town. I've worked very hard to protect you, and this rule will make that much easier, if you help me out." Miss Snow cleared her throat, directing her attention to the local expert.

"Mrs. Fenton, can you with your years of research and professional expertise confirm the authenticity of that stunning footage?" She turned and grinned at the Camera. "Which we will be showing immediately after this interview!" Maddie smiled.

"I believe that given what Jack and I know about ghosts and their behavior, the footage caught on the Huntress's tape is both authentic and valid." The anchoress turned and beamed at the camera once again.

"There you have it, folks! The Fentons officially vouching for Phantom. But what does _he_ have to say about that?" Practically glowing from what a ghost interview would do for her career, she turned back to the ghost boy.

"Err, Danny?"

"Yes?" Both Fenton and Phantom answered at the same time, then froze. Tiffany paused, confused, then chuckled.

"Oh, that's right; your first name's Danny too, isn't it? Well that's just confusing. It sure doesn't help that you two look so much alike." Both of them paled.

"Uh, yeah. Eheh." Danny pulled on his shirt collar and Phantom tried to look less human. "That _is_ weird, huh? I guess he just likes my haircut." Danny chuckled half-heartedly, and his feet flickered slightly. Eyes wide, he looked down briefly. Phantom hastily cleared his throat.

"Look, the Fentons have something important to tell you, and I shouldn't take up any more of your time. I'm sure you'd like my opinion, but you really need to talk to mo-Maddie now. Er, Danny, would you please escort me back downstairs? Nodding mutely, the human Danny led Phantom out the door as fast as he could without being suspicious. Maddie let out a breath. Sam cleared her throat.

"Sorry, I think I need some water. I'll be right back." The young girl hurried off with a very confused expression on her face and caught the two Danny's downstairs. "Alright, what's the deal?" Smirking with success even though his knees were shaking, 'human' Danny's appearance seemed to blur for a moment, then changed into a second Phantom. The two ghost boys then merged back into one, and Danny turned human, shaking off a slight headache and _major_ vertigo.

"Double time." He said, chuckling. "Remind me to get mom a _big_ present for Christmas." Catching Sam's look, he calmly explained. "When I came down here to, er, find myself, I changed into my ghost form, duplicated, and had one of me use my disguise power to pass as human me. Then we went back upstairs." Danny sighed. "I'm just glad I got out of there so fast. Disguising myself takes concentration, even when it's me, and since I had to run two different bodies at _once_…" Sam pulled him into a tight hug, laughing.

"You jerk. What, you couldn't tell me you could do that?" Danny wiggled his eyebrows.

"And ruin all those perfect pranks I'd worked out? Never! Besides, I have to get back at Tucker for poking me." Danny mock-winced in imaginary pain. She punched him playfully in the arm. "Come on, we need to get back up there." Chuckling at how lucky they had been, the two went back up and sat down. Maddie was in the middle of explaining the current danger.

"At this time, my husband along with Mr. Damon Gray is setting up a defense perimeter around the city. We urge any capable citizens to join in defending the shield generators and city. Please do not panic, we have had some time to prepare, and Phantom will be fighting on our behalf. This ghost is powerful, but not indestructible. Perhaps his most terrifying feature is his ability to mimic the appearance of others. Keep your friends and family close, and defend yourselves. Jack and I will make a public announcement when all is clear. Once again, do not panic. The situation is currently dangerous, but controllable. Thank you." Tiffany sat back, pale.

"Thank you for the interview, Mrs. Fenton." She said monotonously, and walked off while the cameras were still rolling. Shrugging, the crew cut the feed and packed up. Mere minutes later they were gone. Valerie stared at the older woman.

"So that's what's happening?" Maddie nodded, and the girl's eyes narrowed. "I'll help. Count on it." Danny turned towards his mother nervously.

"Uh, what _exactly_ did you say?" Mrs. Fenton gave him a reassuring look.

"I didn't say anything that would hurt Phantom's reputation, if that's what you're asking. I only gave them a threat assessment and vague description. But we have to tell Valerie more about this ghost." Danny gulped. "I'll let Phantom fill her in, it's his business anyway." With that, Maddie went off to check the house defenses. Valerie looked over at Danny.

"What?" The girl sighed.

"It's your house. You gonna take me to Phantom or what?" Danny paled, then shook his head.

"I'm going back to bed. He had me up all night helping him. Sam and Tucker know the way." Sending him a disappointed look, Valerie followed his two friends downstairs. Groaning at the world in general, Danny quickly changed forms and teleported downstairs. A second later, the light clicked on. The three surveyed the room in shock, and then Valerie gave Phantom a suspicious look.

"I _really_ want to believe you're on our side. But what's with the blown up lab?" Danny looked around nervously.

"Yeah. Hehe. Your dad said the same thing. The Fentons gave me permission to use what I had to in here to test my limits. I needed to know what I could do if I really tried." Valerie raised an eyebrow. "What? You think I actually use all I've got when I fight you or most other ghosts? I don't want to kill you, or hurt anyone nearby. I have to use just enough to hurt the other guy without doing too much else. But this guy who's coming," he muttered, "doesn't care who get's hurt. He wants to destroy everything." Valerie tilted her head.

"You sound like you know him." Danny chuckled hollowly.

"Maybe in another life."

Out at the edge of the city, the Fenton RV sat parked next to a power hub. Two sweat-covered men worked with the smooth efficiency of a constantly repeated task, cutting specific wires and routing them through the small device they had bolted to the base of the utility pole. Pausing to wipe his brow, Jack looked over to his partner, who was busy preparing the programming chips.

"How's it going, Damon?" Damon Gray shrugged, typing codes in furiously.

"Same as the last one." He called out cheerfully. His smile dropped. "And the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that…" Jack grinned.

"Well at least there weren't any surprises, right? And this is the last one." Damon smiled despite his boredom. Jack really did have a bouncy attitude. You just couldn't kill his enthusiasm.

"Right." Finished, Damon tossed the chip into Jacks' already waiting hand. The hunter deftly plugged it into the small device, telling it that instead of forming a sphere, it was to work with other generators to form part of a much larger whole. Locking down the security cover, Jack stepped back and grinned.

"It's done. Two redundant power sources on each generator and a direct remote link to Fenton Works. This has gotta be the coolest thing I've ever built!" The massive man pulled Damon into a quick, friendly side hug to celebrate. Mr. Gray only turned slightly blue. "And I couldn't have done it without you, buddy!" Gray smiled, and held out a remote activator.

"Care to take it for a spin?" Smiling like a kid at Christmas, Jack grabbed the small device and plunged his fist down on the button.

"Bonsai!" Mere seconds later, blue energy started spreading out from dozens of the small devices around the city edge, meeting the others at the seams with a brief crackle of energy before blending into one giant dome. An occasional ripple spread across the surface, indicating at least one of them wasn't exactly calibrated. Shrugging, the two men turned to congratulate each other. "Here's to the first city-wide anti-ghost barrier!" Jack said, pulling a soda can with 'Fenton' on the label from some compartment on his suit. Damon raised a Coke. Pleased with their work, the two sat back and just looked at it for a moment. Throughout the city, hundreds of people were doing the same thing, silently thanking Mayor Montez for having the foresight to build such a perfect defense.

"We'll have to fix the discordant wavelength, wherever it's coming from. But it's a good start!" Damon's grin actually matched Jack's as he thought of how much safer the city would be with that dome. Jack nodded.

"We could shut each generator off one at a time until it stops rippling. It'd be a great way to test how many of them we need to keep the dome up anyway." Damon nodded. At this rate, the two would be back at Fenton Works inside an hour.

Vlad was frozen at Clockwork's.

Leave it to the Box Ghost to know something like that. Then again, Dan had always suspected that guy knew more than he let on. How else could he manage to escape the Ghost Zone so often? It was a bit ironic that Dan had been searching so hard for someone who was at the very place he started. Chuckling darkly, the destructive ghost slowly made his way towards the Fenton Portal. With Vlad out of the running, Danny was next in line. Floating along, he suddenly spied a familiar lair. He hadn't visited _this_ old friend yet. Dark glee in his eyes, Dan burst open the technology ghost's door only to find Technus already trembling in a corner. His eyes widened when he saw his guest.

"Ghost child? Has it been so long already? Do what you will, but I beg you; do not take me back to that horrible lair of yours! It makes no sense at all. No up, no down, no logic. It's horrible!" Dan's eyes grew confused, then lit back up.

"A lair, hmm? Perhaps a more interesting way to enter the human world. And less likely to be defended. Yes. Danny's destruction will be all the better when he realizes he provided me with the gateway that made my victory possible. Where is it?" He glowered at the geeky ghost. Technus merely trembled.

Hours later, Dan closed the door behind him, wiping the green muck from his hands. The whole 'chat,' Technus hadn't given him one clue on how to find that infernal door. All he did was beg. Dan had even tried acting _nicely_, promising a swift painless death instead, but had gotten nowhere. He had to admit, he had lost his temper. One could only hope Technus never lacked for a host body to share, because he'd never form one of his own again. Grinning at old memories of a similar attack, Dan started off again.

"Will _you_ be my _friend_?"

Dan paused, and turned to view the PJ'd ice ghost. A sneer played across his lips. Light danced from his outstretched fist as he prepared to destroy the annoying ghost. Klemper's eyes widened, but not with fear. He was grinning at Dan's emblem.

"Hey! That's just like on that door I saw!" Dan paused, his gaze shifting from his emblem to Klemper. A feral grin lit his features, and he let his ecto-blast die.

"You saw a door with this symbol?" The poor lonely creature nodded happily, eager to please. "Where?" Klemper rubbed his chin and smirked stupidly, an idea forming.

"If I show you, will you be my friend?" Dan grinned darkly, and nodded. Klemper took off, squealing with joy. His follower just laughed.

"When we get there, I suppose we could…" His fist briefly flared back to life. "Break the ice?"


	14. Defenses

Another long one….

I love setups. And I love reviewers! All of you! HAHA! Also, I have to give a shout to Epona Harper, since the e-mail situation ate all recent reviews, and none of you will see the wonderful words of encouragement I had bestowed upon me. Ah well, I got them somehow, and they are definitely appreciated, even if no one else will see them.

That said, on with the show. (This thing was TEN PAGES)

Bye!

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 14 – Defenses

Valerie and Danny faced each other in the Fenton's basement lab. The few working lights flickered in the ceiling, threatening to go out any second. Neither blinked.

"So, you're telling me that this…_thing_ that's coming is an evil version of you. From the future…" Danny nodded slowly, not breaking eye contact. Tucker tensed, but whether he was moving to protect Danny or Valerie, not even he knew. Sam just stood back, waiting. Danny wasn't in any serious danger, and she thought Valerie knew that. You only had to _look_ at what he'd done to the basement, and you could tell he could have killed her any time.

"Yes." He said, quietly and simply. Valerie calmly pulled out an ecto-gun and charged it, aiming directly at Danny's chest.

"Fine. Now tell me why I shouldn't just destroy you now." Danny didn't bat an eyelash.

"Because he exists whether I live or not, and I'm your best chance at stopping him. And because I could be behind you with a charged blast ready before you released the trigger." Val raised an eyebrow, and lowered her gun. Both blinked, and the moment passed. Tension almost visibly leaving the room, the two new allies walked towards the weapons vault together, Tucker and Sam just behind. The two fell back, Tucker grilling Sam on how Danny had pulled off that interview stunt.

"So why put my dad on the shield?" Danny smiled.

"I saw you in the future, and you were very good. But you weren't in charge. I didn't think you'd _let_ anyone else boss you around, so your dad had to be running things. If Amity Park was still standing after everything he-_I_, did to it, he must be very, _very_ good. Besides," he continued bitterly, "everyone _else_ who could have been running things was dead." Valerie paused thoughtfully.

"He's good at fighting off humans, but I never really thought about him ghost hunting. It was always my thing." She shrugged. "But I guess I had to get it from somewhere." Danny grinned.

"We all do…" He deftly pulled down several different compartmentalized weapons. "That suit," he said, rummaging through the guns, "it's modeled after your original one, right?" Valerie nodded. With a satisfied shake of the head, Danny resumed working. "Good. Vlad designed it?" Valerie paused, shocked.

"How did you know that?" Danny frowned, hesitant.

"I don't know a nice way to tell you this, but Vlad…he was using you to spy on and distract me. He wanted me out of the way so he could kill da-Jack Fenton, and steal his family." Valerie paled, but frowned. Danny deftly tossed her a weapon he approved of.

"I don't get it." She said, snapping off an old blaster and replacing it. "_If_ that's true, _why_?" Danny tossed her another gun.

"He's sick. Mentally, I mean. I've tried to tell you that you were being duped before, but you wouldn't believe me, and I had to be careful. He could have had you rigged to self-destruct." The huntress froze, now very pale.

"He did." She whispered, dropping the latest upgrade in her distress. "My old suit. When you blasted it the last time, it blew up. I thought you were trying to attack me, so I didn't really think about it much, but…" She punched in the next gun with a shaking hand. "He rigged it to do that while I was still _inside_!" Valerie shook, breaths coming very fast. Tucker quietly reached out and touched her shoulder. Seconds later she paused, and looked up with an intense expression. "When we're done here, I think I'll pay him a visit. We need to 'talk.'" Danny shook his head, putting the unused guns back.

"Don't bother; he's been taken care of." Valerie looked at him incredulously. He just shrugged, careful _not_ to mention that Vlad was a ghost. "It's a legal thing, don't worry about it. Whatever happened to him, he'll be out of the picture for a while. In a way, I'm kind of glad _he's_ the one who made that suit. Most of his best work is based off prototypes he stole from the Fentons, so their weapons are compatible." Valerie looked over at him, confused.

"I still don't get it." Danny grinned.

"Have you _seen_ the stuff in their jumpsuits?" Val shook her head.

"Not that. You know so much about this family, and you protect them. Why is that?" Phantom froze, flustered.

"I, uh, that is, I just, really really care about them." Valerie raised an eyebrow. Danny blushed. "What? Yeah, they're ghost hunters, but they're honest ones. They can do a lot to protect this town, and I could use the help." Val chuckled.

"I don't know if I can see Danny fighting ghosts. He's such a klutz." Tucker sniggered behind her, and Sam elbowed him in the ribs, grinning slightly. Phantom rubbed his head.

"I think he'd do all right." Val glared at him.

"Don't even think about using him this time. I've got experience, but he'd just get in the way or get killed." Phantom raised his hands, looking amused.

"Relax; no one who can't fight will be here." He frowned. "Speaking of that, we need to get back to work." He turned towards the other two.

"Sam, Tucker, you finished that other job?" Tucker nodded, wincing. Danny frowned. "I'm really sorry you had to do that, but you're the only one who could." His friend didn't say anything. "You should probably go find Mr. Gray. He could use someone with your skills to keep the shield running smoothly. Sam?" She turned to him. "You should go help Jazz recruit. She knows the right words, but if there's anything a Manson can do, it's whip an angry crowd of volunteers into a frenzy. After that, get to safety." Grinning, Sam started to follow Tucker out. Halfway up the stairs she paused, and faced Phantom with terror in her eyes.

"Phantom. Just promise you'll tell Danny to be safe. And that I love him." Phantom smiled back sadly.

"I'll make sure he gets the message." Nodding, Sam ran off to help Jazz. Valerie cleared her throat.

"Well now what do we do?" Phantom turned and watched the portal intently.

"We wait."

The rippling had stopped. Jack grinned up at the dome from his parking space, thrilled that even with half of the generators inactive, it was still up, albeit flickering slightly. Turning, he watched with pride and slight nostalgia as Damon punched numbers intently into his laptop.

"I've isolated the mis-calibrated generator. It's over by Axion, one of the first we put up." The man shrugged. "I guess we rushed those a bit to avoid getting caught." He looked up, smirking. "Not that we aren't being really obvious or anything." Jack grinned back and revved the engine. The two tore off towards the malfunctioning shield as Damon reactivated all of the ones he had shut down.

"This has been a blast D-man!" Damon quirked an eyebrow. "I haven't had this much fun with another guy since Vlad and I were in college!" Jack's smile fell slightly. "I missed it. Any way you might do this permanently?" Gray rubbed his chin thoughtfully, grinning in spite of himself. To be honest, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun either. Protecting a company's secrets was important business, but this just seemed more…important. Fulfilling. Besides, there was no way he was working for a guy who'd tried to kill his friends and family. Gray turned and smiled at Jack.

"We'll see. After this is over, Amity will need _somebody_ to keep the defenses working." Jack beamed.

"Just think of it. You Maddie and me working together to fight off ghosts! Maddie can think up the cool new weapons, I'll fight the ghosts, and you'll do that computer thing and keep everything running." Jack smiled. "It's perfect!" Laughing together, the two parked by a lone electric pole just outside the Axion fenced perimeter. Praying they didn't get arrested, Damon quickly went out and started fiddling with the chips. Jack's cell phone rang.

"Hello? Tucker. How's Danny? Really? Valerie's there, too?" Jack smiled at the phone. "Sure, Damon would love some help, and he probably wants to talk with Val, too." He nodded. "Right, we're just finishing with the dome, we'll be home in fifteen tops." Damon jogged back over, grinning.

"Everything's fine. Just a crossed wire. Where to?" Jack grinned back.

"Back home. Valerie's already there, and you've got some backup to keep the shields running." Damon quirked an eyebrow. "Tucker. Danny's friend. I think he and Valerie are dating or something." His friend nodded as they tore off down the road.

"I could use a hand. No offense Jack, but computers aren't really your thing." Jack nodded, rubbing the back of his head and smiling. "I've heard Tucker's really good. While I run calibration routines, he can start work on an automated failsafe program series."

"I don't know what you just said, but it sounds good to me." The two were home in five minutes. Damon actually didn't seem to mind Jack's driving; he was grinning like a maniac.

"What a rush! We need to carpool." The security officer jumped out of the RV and jogged into the house. "Valerie?" Tucker was sitting at the table, playing pong.

"She got bored downstairs, so she's off with Phantom testing her new stuff. Mrs. Fenton is downstairs watching the portal, Sam and Jazz are out recruiting, and I'm," he said, bored, "playing pong." Damon nodded, only slightly upset Valerie wasn't there. She was in good hands, after all. He hoped.

"You up for something more challenging?" Tucker looked up and grinned at the computer now resting in front of him. The two immediately started speaking some weird alien language, and Jack decided to leave them alone. As discreetly as his size allowed, he edged himself over to the basement door and joined his wife. Every weapon the two had ever made seemed to be trained on that portal.

"Hey Mads." Startled, Maddie almost blasted her husband's head off.

"Jack! Don't scare me like that! How's the shield coming." Jack scratched his head, grinning.

"I think it's done, but Damon wants Tucker to help him set up some automatic thing on that computer of his." Maddie smiled up at him.

"So what do you think of Mr. Gray?" Jack grinned.

"He's great! Really smart, good with programming stuff, likes fighting ghosts…" Jack grinned. "I haven't had this much fun since college!" Maddie smiled, only slightly sad at the memories.

"Well I'm glad. I don't think Vlad will ever be what he was again, but it's good to make new friends." She paused. "Oh, and if anyone asks, Phantom took Danny to a secure shelter somewhere else in town, and plans on taking Jazz and Sam later. Tucker too, unless Damon needs him to keep the shields running." Jack nodded, frowning.

"It's not really fair, is it? Danny does all this cool stuff, and nobody thanks him. I mean, they'll thank _Phantom_ now, but not him." Maddie smiled.

"I have a feeling he likes it that way. There's no pressure to live up to _Phantom_ all the time. He's turned into a real live hero, and I'm very proud of him, but he needs to be human, too." Jack paused thoughtfully, and nodded. Maddie chuckled.

"So you over that 'jealous' problem?" Jack grinned a bit.

"Mostly. Tucker told me about that interview thing over the phone. I don't need that kind of stress." Laughing, the two watched the portal together holding hands, carefully charging their death rays.

"This is stupid!" Danny shouted out, doing a backwards loop in midair. Pink and green energy blasts tore through the sky. Valerie scoffed loudly over the wind.

"I need to test this new stuff out. I'm not about to fight some new ghost with new weapons!" She shot off another blast. "But I'd feel better if we did this on the _other_ side of that dome." She gestured at the blue energy wall above them. Phantom scowled slightly.

"I already told you, I can't go through it. And I tried teleporting, it's like slamming into a brick wall!" Frustrated, he shot off a few blasts of his own, which Valerie dodged easily. "We should be back there guarding the portal!" He dodged a return volley.

"Come on ghost boy, that's not your best! I need to practice!" Danny finally lost it.

"You want my best? Fine!" Before Valerie reloaded, he teleported behind her, jerked her arms into a secure lock, phased her weapons so they just fell off the suit, did a back flip and planted her firmly in three-foot thick concrete. Fuming, he melted two holes inches from her head on either side with his eyes and held a glowing fist to her face. "Dead." He said simply. He instantly regretted it as the fight just went right out of her. "Val?" She just lay there, staring at the cement. "Val?"

"How am I supposed to help?" She asked tiredly. "This guy can beat you, and you just planted me. Literally." Danny sighed, and sat down.

"Well, he can't teleport. At least, I don't _think_ he can." He started. "So _he_ couldn't just appear behind you. I'm sorry I lost my temper, I just didn't want to go all out on you, and the portal is important. And no matter what you think, you _can_ help. Future you was no match for future me alone, but she came close. You can, too, and you'll have help." Smiling, he reached down and phased her up out of the concrete. "Besides, you can do better than that. I've seen it." Gathering up her weapons, he helped her reattach them to her suit and the two took off again. "Best two out of three?" Val grinned, and charged her new toys.

"Alright people, thank you for showing up. Amity Park will survive this attack because of you!" Jazz spoke with excessive enthusiasm through a bull horn at a football field filled with volunteers. "My family has set up powerful weapons and shields to keep this ghost at bay, but we have no one to keep the shields safe. That's where you all come in." Sam reached over and grabbed the amplifier from Jazz and glared out at the crowd.

"We don't know when the ghost will get here, and we don't know how. So we'll put you all in shifts. Someone will be at each shield generator at all times. We need you to stay there for four hours every other day. Come up and sign up for shifts. There's a different sheet for every generator, complete with location. Don't sign up if you can't help!" Sam shot a grateful smile at Mr. Gray. With a brief salute, the man took off in the RV to check the perimeter. "This town is ours! And we won't let some ghost take it away from us!" Applause and cheers filled the stadium as the crowd rushed forward to sign up. Jazz shot the girl a bemused look.

"Wow. You're good." Sam shrugged.

"The one time I'm glad to get something from my parents." She turned back to the crowd. "There will be three charged ecto weapons by each generator. To all the psychos listening, they don't work on humans, so don't bother. Use these to ward off any ghost that manages to sneak in. Under no circumstances can they be allowed to destroy that shield!" With that, Sam stepped down and handed the horn back to Jazz. Sighing, she walked off a ways and looked up at the dome.

"Whatever happens, Danny, don't you dare die."

Danny and Valerie phased down through the lab ceiling, holding hands. Tucker arched an eyebrow over the computer screen in the corner.

"Val, should I be jealous?" Danny and Valerie blushed, and the huntress ran over to give him a quick hug.

"Nah. But Sam was right about the uniform." The two sniggered as Danny turned even redder, and went over to see his parents. Val's eyes went back to the computer screen.

"Ugh, what's my dad making you _do_?" Tucker grinned.

"Automatic maintenance programs for the shield. He hardwired the basic instructions in, but new stuff can just be beamed out to the generators from this basement." Typing quickly, he stared as line after line of gibberish filled the screen. "I'm teaching the generators to change how they act based on how many of them are working, where the other working ones are, and power supply. It's not easy, but having them evenly spaced in a circle simplifies things a bit. I don't have to program unique spatial relationship data for each generator." Valerie just nodded slowly. Tucker chuckled.

"Sorry, went a bit geek on you there. Your dad is amazing though! He programmed those things to work together in just a few minutes, and he had to do it the _hard_ way." Her boyfriend shook his head. "No way I'm that good. He's pretty cool." Valerie started a bit.

"Yeah, he really is, huh?" The huntress relaxed against her frantically working boyfriend and sighed happily. At least she got to see him again before things went down. She just hoped Danny and Sam were happy and safe together somewhere.

Across the way, Danny and his parents were arguing heatedly.

"No way I'm leaving Tucker here. It's not safe!" Jack and Maddie just shook their heads.

"He needs to be here to keep the shield running. Damon said so, Tucker said so, there's no other way. He knows the risk. Besides, this place is an anti-ghost fortress. If we lose here, he won't be safer anywhere else." Danny sighed, sagging.

"I know. I just don't want anyone to get hurt." Maddie smiled.

"We may not have super powers, but we get along just fine, thank you. You don't have to worry so much." Danny nodded mutely, then frowned, a strange expression crossing his face.

"Guys? I've got this weird feeling. He's close, but it's more than that. I've felt like this before. When…" His eyes lit up. "Oh no."

Dani sat in the stone chair she'd found, legs swaying back and forth as she looked out at the starry sky. Far off in the maze of halls and stairs, the trickling of flowing water echoed out. She smiled contentedly, comforted by the fountains, the stars…Danny's presense. She could _feel_ him in this place, and remembered his promise to protect her, to keep her safe. Not that she couldn't stand up for herself, of course. Ember groaned from behind her, and Dani looked back towards the arched doorway.

"I don't care if he seems together, that kid is seriously messed up." The singing ghost had almost passed out the first time she saw the inside of this place. While mostly over the severe vertigo, she had been captivated by the stone artwork they found in this room. "How'd you find this place, anyway?" Dani shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't seem to have much trouble finding my way around in here. Maybe it's just because I'm, uh, _related_ to Danny." Ember snorted.

"You said it, tootsie-pop. If you were a few years older, you could pass for twins." The singer quirked an eyebrow. "How come he hid you out here?" Dani shrugged, uncomfortable.

"If I helped fight that other ghost, I'd probably melt. I can't really use my powers that well." Ember stared at this.

"You've got ghost powers, too?" Dani nodded. Ember smacked her head. "Yeah, Danny said you did, duh. But it's still really weird. What, one ghost kid wasn't enough? You multiplying or something?" Dani scowled over at the pop star.

"For your information, hairdo, I didn't _ask_ to be made this way. If I didn't have my powers, I'd probably be stable and safe. But noooo. Vlad, El Senor Wack-Job just _had_ to have a clone with ghost powers." Ember blew a pink bubble, and chewed her gum for a moment.

"Wait, wait, hold it. Clones? Vlad? What, are you Danny's clone now?" Dani nodded. Ember burst out laughing. "But you're a _girl_. Dude, I'm sure the dipstick's got some masculinity issues, what with the beatings he supposedly gets at school, but seriously! A chick? How'd that one happen?" Dani's frown deepened. Her eyes lit green, despite a slight dripping from one finger.

"Don't you make fun of Danny. Not many people would just take a punch from those jerks instead of punching _them_ through the wall. Vlad made me a girl so I wouldn't melt as quick; Danny had nothing to do with it." Ember quirked an eyebrow. The ghost girl sighed, looking down. "I'm dying." She whispered. "Slowly, but my powers are tearing my body apart." Ember stared at the little girl.

"Oh." She said simply, not really sure what to say. "Um, so what's up with the creepy carvings?" She pointed over at the chiseled indent of Dan. "Self portraits from another dimension?" Dani frowned.

"No idea. But it's kinda sad." She gestured at all the Amity Park people enjoying themselves, but terrified of Danny, all alone in the middle. Ember nodded, shrugging, and blew another bubble. It popped loudly, and she sucked the gum back in.

"People get scared of ghosts. Always have. It's a real drag, but you get used to it, I guess." Dani frowned.

"I thought you were supposed to be a bad ghost. Why should you care?" Ember shrugged, irritated at the question.

"I don't know, pipsqueak, I just do. Maybe 'cause my powers work best when humans love me, and want me around. It doesn't help things much when they're scared of you." Ember sighed, and sat down, tracing Danny's outline with her finger.

"Yeah, I've tried to take over the world. But 'bad ghost?' Kid, things are always more complicated than that. I love singing, not power. If I could sing to a crowd, hear them cheer me on, what would I want with the world? But I'll never get that on my own," she said bitterly, "because humans are scared of ghosts. Don't think I don't get it, kid. I just gave up on the nice girl approach a long time ago." Dani frowned thoughtfully. Ember smiled. "This kid hasn't given up yet, though. Maybe being part human will help." Her smile dropped again as she thought about it. "You ask me it just sounds lonelier. Humans feel more, or at least I _think_ you do. Ghosts have to work at the feeling stuff. All that hatred and fear probably just hurts that much worse when you can't just shut it off." Dani sighed.

"Yeah. It does. At least Danny was human for a while. I've always been a freak." Ember blew another bubble.

"Well you two got each other, right?" Dani nodded. The singer shrugged. "Maybe that's enough. And hey, maybe I'll drop in now and again." She looked off to her side. "Without my voice, what else have I got to do? Singing's the only thing I really loved, and that _monster_ took it from me." Ember's hair flared briefly, but then died down again. Her companion nodded sadly, eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry, we'll get him. He won't get away with what he's done." Ember just brooded silently. Dani shivered. Blue mist shot out of her mouth.

"Um, Ember?" The flame ghost shook, wide-eyed. The temperature began dropping drastically, both girls holding themselves tight for warmth. The gentle trickling stopped. Dani couldn't see or hear why, but somehow she just _knew_ the water had frozen solid. Heartless laughter echoed throughout the stone maze. Squeeking in fear, Ember jumped behind the stone chair.

"I think I like this place." Echoes filled the cold void, repeating an even colder voice. "But it could use a few personal touches. What, no ectoblasts? Oh well, I guess I'll do this the fast way." Both girls clapped their hands over their ears as an ear-splitting shriek filled the lair. Stones cracked and flew apart all around them, but with no down, merely floated, suspended in space. The shriek lasted several minutes, until there was nothing left of the great stone maze. "Hmm. Can't fly in here either. Inconvenient." Dani peeked one eye open over her arms, and looked at the ruin of the lair. Empty red eyes bored into her from a surviving chunk of Danny's mural, and seemed to blink as the stone rotated in the moonlight. Elsewhere, all that remained of Danny's masterpiece where floating islands of rubble suspended in a midnight sky. There wasn't even a floor anymore. Turning, she gasped as a dark cloaked figure jumped from floating stone to floating stone, heading towards the other, clearly visible door. Ears perked, the dark ghost's head rotated on his neck completely to the side and stared at her.

"What's this? Has little Danny made this a cozy hidey-hole for all his little girlfriends? Let's get a closer look. Or two…" Laughing maliciously, Dan jumped from stone to stone, grasping with hands and feet, as he advanced on the cowering pair. The far door slammed open.

"Hold it."


	15. Rages

Hello All!

Chapter fifteen, the climax, the epitome, the ultimate clash against the forces of evil…and other such junk. Also, I am majorly freaked out. Did you guys know that the first good view of the Ghost Zone in 'Prisoners of Love' after Danny goes inside after that present looks creepily like a famous print that I know and love? I almost passed out when I saw that, it scared the crap out of me! It's only there for a second, but brrrrrr….

Much love to all reviewers, I'm glad you're all still pleased. Special thanks to Epona, who's review will once again go unshown. Hope you get that e-mail fixed. You always have good advice, and people deserve to benefit from it. Also thanks to Lizeth for visiting me at DeviantArt. Joy!

That said, I only ask that nobody send me a death threat after this chapter. While things might not get better, this is not the end of the story. That's next chapter. -takes cover-

Bye,

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 15 – Rages

Dan Phantom looked across the star-strewn world towards the source of the angry voice. Glaring at him from the far door was Danny. With a violent wave of the young boy's arm, fractured boulders flew together and fused into a patchwork path across the great chasm, and Danny silently strode out towards his dark foe. Dan chuckled.

"Quite a talent you have in here. They say ghostly lairs are where the unquiet dead go to meditate on their lost lives. To 'find themselves.' Well, I suppose it's worked for you." He gave a mocking half-bow. "Here I am." Danny scowled, as a red-suited huntress stepped in behind him, looking slightly disoriented. Dan quirked an eyebrow. "Val? Well isn't this a pleasant surprise. And here I thought I'd have to go look for you after I killed myself." Valerie just charged a gun, her face firm and still behind an already impassive mask. Dan smirked. "Nice suit, by the way. Is it new?" Neither spoke. "I take it from your expressions that I was expected. How?" His gaze flicked back to the cowering girls. "Ember. So you're one of the little girlfriends, then. I can't say much for your tastes. A human?" Dan chuckled at the cowering singer, and his gaze moved to Dani, who had quickly changed into her ghost form to protect her new friend. He frowned.

"And who's this? A second fan-girl?" He scowled. "I've heard of ghostly obsession, girly, but don't you think you've taken it a bit far?" Dani just glared back, trembling slightly as she fought to keep her unusually high energy from ripping her body apart. "No answer? Fine. I'll ask again after I kill your boyfriend."

Laughing coldly, the dark ghost ran forward and swung at his young counterpart. Sprinting into action, the two warriors jumped to the side as his fist collided with the stone path, destroying Danny's efforts in the blink of an eye. Flailing about in midair, Valerie quickly activated her jet board and floated up, glaring at her enemy. Danny jumped as far as he could, landing on a floating stone and bouncing back towards Dan, spinning into a side-kick. Dan snorted, grabbing him by the ankle and flipping him over his head towards the other wall at even higher speeds. Grinning, he turned to face the stunned huntress just as a white boot kicked him in the head.

"Ahh!" Dan flew towards a large floating stone and crashed into it, shattering it into hundreds of small pieces. Shaking his head, he glared at his smug enemy. "How!" Danny just grinned.

"Teleportation. Definitely a cool power."

Dan's eyes widened momentarily as Danny vanished and reappeared above his head, bringing his joined fists down in a savage blow. Dazed and flying towards yet another boulder, Dan quickly shot a wad of his ecto-goop and plastered Danny onto a wall. Eyes closed briefly in concentration; Danny winced and sagged, the substance preventing his escape even by teleportation.

Smug look back in place, Dan managed to land on his feet and launch himself towards Valerie. The huntress swerved quickly in midair, firing off a glancing blow even as Dan caught her by the arm and jerked her off her sled. With a vicious glare, he reduced the floating craft to slag, and then pulled the girl close.

"Still think I'm cute, Valerie? Wanna go out sometime?" The repulsive creature stuck out his forked tongue and wiggled it in front of the girl. Her eyes filled with horror and disgust as she kicked desperately. Danny screamed in rage in the distance, thrashing madly to get at the mad spirit. Finally gaining leverage, Val broke free and pushed off of her captor's chest, sending them in opposite directions. Quickly reaching to her side, Val threw off several spinning ecto-disks. Unable to move properly with neither flight nor ground, Dan could only take the hits, growling in pain. Chuckling, Val threw a second volley.

"I don't think I could date a wimp like you, ghost. And I definely like guys who at least _try _breath mints once and a while." Dan put up a shield, recoiling from the impact as the powered disks bounced off.

Glaring at the girl, Dan sucked in a deep breath and wailed. Stones all around her shattered, sending slivers of shrapnel through her skin as the shock waves blew up her weapons and shorted out her suit. Screaming in pain, Valerie was blasted into the far wall and collapsed, unconscious. A trickle of blood leaked from her slack mouth. "How's that for bad breath?"

"Valerie!" Using every ounce of strength he had, Danny strained against his prison, finally tearing it apart, the force reverberating back and causing the boulder behind him to explode. Eyes blazing, he turned towards his grinning enemy. Then, he paled, realizing he was floating in empty space with no way to create momentum. Dan turned to watch his 'free' opponent and laughed.

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Jack and Maddie looked around the basement lab frantically. Just a few short minutes ago, their son had panicked, saying that his evil future self was coming. Without even a simple explanation, he had grabbed Valerie's hand and teleported. Eyes wide, Jack and Maddie turned towards a very pale Tucker. His computer lay in front of him, forgotten.

"Valerie." He whispered. "Danny." The two parents marched over and sat down.

"Tucker. Do you have _any_ idea where they went?" Tucker shook his head mutely.

"No, I don't. They could be anywhere in the city by now." The frightened boy looked down at the constant data stream in his computer. "None of the generators are showing signs of stress, so that doesn't help. If they're still in the city, they aren't hitting the dome. I can't find them this way." Tucker shook his head, and started calling up video. "I just hope Sam and Jazz got those volunteers in place."

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Dash Baxter stood next to the Axion generator and tugged at his Phantom t-shirt irritably. Sure, it was the cool thing to wear right now, but in this kind of sun, who wanted to have black on? Besides that creepy Goth chick anyway…

Kwan groaned with boredom and tossed his ecto-gun up into the air, catching it lightly before repeating. Dash scowled.

"Come on, dude, knock it off. The whole gun-tossing thing is seriously freaking me out." Kwan smirked.

"Relax. Manson said they don't hurt humans, remember?" He tossed it again. "Besides, there's nothing else to do." Dash sent his friend a dark glare.

"I mean it Kwan, don't make me pound you." Kwan snorted.

"Like you could. How's that nose, Dash?" Dash grimaced. He'd had to take Monday off school to have it checked again. Fenton had hit him hard enough to break it in three places, and it itched like crazy under a very stupid-looking cast. Worse, the punk hadn't been in school today because of the ghost attack. Rumors were spreading that he was chicken to fight that wimp, and it was driving him crazy. The blond jock cracked his knuckles.

"Fine. It was a cheap shot, that's it. I would have wiped the floor with him if Lancer hadn't shown up." Dash's voice was smooth and confident, and Kwan frowned for a moment. The other jock smiled then, sure Dash was right. Fenton was just a scrawny little kid; he couldn't land two hits on Dash before he got plowed through the floor.

Dash nodded at his friend's acceptance, relieved. To be honest, he wasn't sure he _wanted_ to fight Fenton again. The quarterback had been in his share of fights, usually with members of some other team after a game. And in that whole time, on the field or off, he didn't think he'd _ever_ been hit that hard. Tackled maybe, but that was more about weight and momentum then strength. When that Fenton kid punched him, Dash could _tell_ he wasn't really into it, but it still broke his nose. Three times! The bully scratched his head, confused about what he should do.

He obviously couldn't do _nothing_. The A-list would tear him apart, and he didn't have any other friends. But if he fought Fenton and lost, it would be even worse. Not even the band geeks would be afraid of him. He could corner Fenton alone and talk about it…Dash shook his head, clearing out that crazy thought. No way would that punk kid understand. Besides, after the last year, why would he care? And Fenton didn't seem to want to be on the A-list anymore, and Dash inviting him would make him look like an idiot. Especially since he was getting invited for punching out his inviter. But Dash knew that if he fought Fenton, he'd lose. That one punch proved it. There didn't seem to be any way out.

Frowning in thought, Dash didn't even notice Kwan lightly toss his gun back into the air.

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Sam and Jazz sighed contentedly as the last few stragglers finished signing up and left. Both were of course terrified out of their wits, but a bit too proud to let the other know. Naturally they both knew anyway. Sam picked up the sheets silently and handed them over to her partner.

"Thanks Sam. Wanna talk about it?" Sam scowled over at her, crossing her arms.

"What about you, Jazz?" The older girl blustered slightly, staring at the Goth. "Don't think I can't tell. You're just as worried as I am." The older girl paused, and nodded mutely.

"Yeah." She chuckled hollowly. "I guess we're just the side-liners, huh?" Sam glared.

"What are you talking about? I've been taking martial arts classes on the side for months now, and I'm not half bad with those ghost weapons! I'm perfectly able to kick ghost butt on my own. And what about you and Spectra? You peeled her like an onion, and Danny was _losing_ to her." Jazz nodded, smiling slightly. Suddenly, she shot the other girl a sly glance.

"Months? Danny wasn't fighting at this level a few months ago; you didn't need 'To Fu' or whatever to keep up. Why'd you start?" Sam blushed.

"Danny was crushing on Valerie. She's a ninth degree black belt. If he wants some warrior princess, I can do that. I'm almost to the black belt now. After that, you just need to practice." Jazz smiled.

"That doesn't seem like you, Sam." She teased. "Changing yourself for a boy." Sam just smiled.

"Danny's worth it." The older girl sat down next to her, draping a hand over her shoulder. "Besides, he needs people to protect him, even if he won't admit it. And warrior princess was never a huge stretch for me." Jazz nodded.

"Just remember, Sam. He chose you. He likes you for who you are, not for what you can do. But I agree, he does need you to be strong. For both your sakes." The girl pursed her lips thoughtfully. "You know, the only way you'll really keep improving is if you work with a master." Sam shuddered. "No, not Valerie. I know that would be awkward. I'll ask my mom if she'll tutor you. She even developed her own special variation on basic moves just for ghost-fighting. Not even Valerie knows those." Sam smirked, then her smile dropped.

"Can you tell Val, too?" She asked quietly. Jazz beamed, pleasantly surprised.

"You really do care about him, huh? You're even willing to give up an edge like that just to keep him that much safer." Sam nodded.

"He always tries to save everyone, no matter who they are. That's what I love about him. It's only right that I'm good to other people too." Jazz smiled and hugged her to her side.

"I think that's what _he_ loves about _you_."

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Concentrating fiercely, Danny teleported over to Valerie. Not that this gave him any momentum, he was still just floating around. Dani and Ember watched from their nearby shelter, desperately trying to avoid being seen. Body tensed to defend her, the ghost boy quickly checked for a pulse. Sighing with relief when he found one, he slowly maneuvered himself away, careful not to jostle her.

A brief chuckle was all the warning he had. Acting purely on instinct, Danny threw up a shield. Not over himself, but over Valerie. A second later, he felt Dan's punch glance off the barrier. Strong hands jerked him around to face his dark opponent. Dan smirked, throwing Danny against the solid wall over and over again. Blood vessels broke in Danny's eyes until they looked almost as red as his enemy's. Timing things just right, Danny phased through as Dan lunged him backward yet again, resolidifying to headbutt Dan in the face. With a cry of pain and rage, Dan backed up, blood trickling from his nose. Casually, he wiped some away and looked down at it. Danny took a deep, gasping breath. Glaring intensely, he kicked out and launched Dan back away, cursing. Green eyes locked on red and almost as though sharing a mind, both Phantoms doubled their forms. Dan looked at his duel counterparts and snorted.

"Well someone's been practicing." Grimacing in pain and fatigue, The Danny's pushed themselves off the back wall and launched at the Dans. Grinning wickedly, the Dans turned as one and took deep breaths. Dannys' eyes widened as they saw that they were looking at Valerie. Desperate, but trapped in midair, one of them grabbed the other and hurled him through the air. Rotating, Danny threw up the strongest shield he could manage as the earth shattered around him. His double vanished into mist as his energy was poured into the shield. Finally unable to take any more, Danny fell to his knees beside the unconscious huntress and collapsed, reverting back to human form. Dan completed a similar move and landed nearby as Danny struggled to his feet, firmly between him and Valerie. Dan sneered over at his young self.

"You must really like her, huh? But what about when she finds out who you really are? That you _lied_ to her, tricked her? Why would anyone love something like you?" Danny's eyes flared green, and he held Dan back as best he could, one arm protectively over Val's torso.

"Shut up. She's my _friend_. Ghost or human." Danny smiled slightly. "You've missed a lot in that thermos, old man. I'm loved all over the place." Roaring in fury, Dan launched forward and punched out at Danny, who just managed to teleport away with Val despite his human form, rebounding off a nearby boulder to attack again, panting heavily. Glaring at the boy, Dan snapped his hand back and grabbed Danny in a vicious choke-hold moments from impact, and swung him into a boulder, pinning him down with one hand while he gripped the surface with the other. Blood red eyes bored into his pale, gasping face.

"Loved? What does a ghost know of love? You and that stupid cheese head are pathetic. Both of you, looking so hard for something you don't even need, killing yourselves all over again for the sake of such a stupid, small thing. You're freaks! Ghosts that feel! What good is that?" Dan laughed loudly, eyes glowing unnaturally bright. "I'm going to kill you again now, Danny, you and your ridiculous emotions. I'm going to watch as the hope, love, and finally pain leave your eyes, and when they go dim, I'm going to tear out your _human_ heart and laugh. Love? Let's see your pathetic mortal sentiments save you now."

A vicious punch knocked him backwards into open air and Danny fell back, gasping and unable to move. Dani looked up and glared at the evil creature. Danny wheezed, trying desperately to pull the girl back. "Dani. Don't do this." The girl shook her head, spilling two tear drops as she stood between Dan and her cousin. The only person who understood her, the only person who protected her, the only person she'd ever dared to think of as a father, even if it wasn't strictly true.

"No. I'm going to protect _you_ now." Dani's eyes and hands glowed vivid blue, even as her boots started to lose substance and send green steam into the air. Slowly, arms and legs trembling with the effort of self-control, Danielle leaned her head back and sucked in a deep breath. Dan smirked.

"What's this, little girl? Are you going to try and mimic your hero? Are you going to try wailing at me?" He laughed. "Please, I'm the only ghost that can do that, you're nothing but a pathetic fashion clone."

Eyes narrowed, Dani thrust her head forward and screamed. But no wail came pouring out. Instead, it was a thick beam of ice, colder than the depths of starry space that Danny had admiringly strewn about his private world. A second shriek filled the chamber, one of indescribable pain, as every single molecule in Dan's body froze and blew apart.

Ember watched in horror as the girl poured everything she had, everything she was, into that ear-splitting cry. Danny just lay there; helplessly watching as the poor girl's form wavered more and more violently, as she recklessly sacrificed her stability to prolong and strengthen her attack. Despite everything, Dani did not let up until there was nothing left of the dark, evil ghost but a frozen mass of crystallized green goop. Already the glow started to fade from it as whatever dark force had maintained Dan's existence departed. Danny gasped, looking at the ruin of his foe, knowing that the evil spirit would never trouble him again. He might never understand where Danielle had found the strength, but somehow she had taken her freezing power and destroyed the most powerful evil ghost to ever exist. For him. Still trembling, Dani turned towards her cousin, her father, and her friend, and smiled.

It only took a few seconds for her body to dissolve.


	16. Martyrs

Wow, do you know how much of this thing I re-wrote? Clockwork was WAY out of character the first draft. I had to erase and rewrite three pages of material, but now it works so meh. I only regret that one particularly cool scene couldn't exist in this version. Ah well, it's worth it.

Love to all reviewers. I think last chapter inspired the most first-timers out of any chapters in this thing. And surprisingly, only half of you seem to want me to die. I'm glad you like the story enough to not kill me until I post the last chapter. Speaking of which, I need to go into hiding now. Hope you like the conclusion. Seriously, I love you all, even those with angry mobs forming. You make this worthwhile. Cheers.

Later!

HiddenAuthor

Chapter 16 – Martyrs

Danny stood in the empty room as the stones about him silently moved to create a large, level floor, breathing deeply. He shook from the tremendous loss of his dear friend, but no tears fell. Eerily calm, the ghost boy turned towards Ember. The singing ghost just stood to the side, staring mutely at the green puddle that was all that remained of the first true friend she'd ever made. Sniffling, Ember met Danny's empty gaze.

"Go find my parents. Tell them everything." He said in an odd sort of monotone. There was no life left in that voice, no will to go on. Even the near silent echoes of his command seemed cold and empty. Frowning sadly, Ember walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. Danny gently shrugged it off and looked at her, silently repeating his request.

"Alright, kid. I'll tell them…everything." The ghost slowly turned and walked away, back towards the black door to Danny's house. She paused. "What are you doing? Looking after her?" She jerked her head to indicate Valerie, but that wasn't really necessary. A spark returned to Danny's eyes, and his face contorted in anger and he returned to his ghost form.

"No." He said quietly. "_She'll_ be fine. I have to go see a ghost about a thermos." Flaming green cracks spreading out from his feet, Danny walked slowly but deliberately to the other door. A certain robed ghost had some explaining to do.

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Sam and Jazz rode with Damon around the perimeter, with no idea of what else to do. Tucker had called them and told them to patrol, saying that Danny and his future self were fighting somewhere. Both girls were incredibly pale, almost wishing a generator would explode, if only to tell them where he _was_. Shifting uncomfortably, Damon shot them an encouraging smile as he drove to the next point on his compact map.

"Don't worry, girls, I'm sure Phantom is fine. He's a tough ghost, even Valerie said so." The two girls smiled slightly. Damon sighed; worry leaking through his strong front. "My little girl is out there with him, and I have no idea where she is. How can you live with something like that? At least Jack and Maddie know all their kids are safe." Slightly guilty, Jazz slid forward and rested a hand on Damon's shoulder.

"I'm sure she's fine, Mr. Gray. Valerie's a fighter, she can handle herself. And Phantom would never let her get hurt. He'll do his best to protect her, I promise." Their driver just stared ahead.

"I just worry that it won't be enough. All I can do is keep this shield up, and leave the rest to her. It's not fair that someone so young should have to do something like this." The RV's communicator crackled to life.

"Guys?" Tucker's voice was hesitant and sad. All three people in the vehicle grabbed for the speaker, Damon finally winning out.

"Tucker. What's going on?" There was a long pause.

"We won. But Val's hurt, I'm taking her to the hospital." Damon pulled the RV into a U-turn so fast his passengers slammed into the side.

"What's wrong? I'll be there in five minutes!" The frantic father slammed the gas, tearing off down the rode in a way that Jack would find insane. Desperate, Sam grabbed the device.

"What about Da-Pantom? Is he okay?" There was an even longer pause.

"Yes, he's fine. I think." Sam collapsed in relief, sobbing. Jazz deftly plucked up the link.

"What do you mean?"

"It's Danielle. She stopped him. She saved Phantom's life. But…." Jazz paled.

"No…"

"I think Danny and his parents need some time alone. I'm taking Val to the hospital on my permit. Desperate times…." Tucker gulped. "I'm in your car Jazz, you can drive back home from the hospital. I think he'll need you. Sam, you should go too. I'm gonna stay with Val until she wakes up." Nodding at the speaker, Jazz hung up, turning towards Sam.

"I hope he's alright."

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BAM!

Clockwork fell to the floor, and rose, wincing, as he cupped his cheek. Danny glowered at the time ghost, eyes a pair of green flames.

"_I'm confident that the Fentons will pull through_. _There are more universes where you survive_. Tell me something Clockwork, was that promise made before or AFTER YOU LET MY EVIL FUTURE GO!" Several light fixtures in the now-traditional meeting study shattered, glass shards falling to the floor and the exposed candle flames scorching the walls. Danny's eyes finally dropped a few tears. "WHY DID YOU DO IT! YOU'RE THE MASTER OF TIME! YOU COULD HAVE _STOPPED_ HIM!" Danny panted, and fell back into a soft lounge chair, red faced and gasping. "I promised I'd keep her safe, that I'd take care of her. And she's _dead_!"

Clockwork waited with pity and shame in his face while Danny lay back in his chair and shook, sobbing. To his credit, he knew he'd deserved the punch, and had been more than willing to take it. After all, he'd seen it coming. A few minutes of silence passed, and Danny calmed down, looking at his hands and refusing to acknowledge the other ghost. Clockwork decided that was as close to an invitation to explain as he could expect. The time ghost sighed, and sat back in a chair of his own.

"I can try to explain, but you will react poorly to my first statements." Danny looked up, frowning. "You will want to hit me again, or leave. I must ask first that you do not act on this impulse. What I say will at first seem selfish, evil, and wrong. But I had a very important positive motivation. Let me continue, and give me a chance to explain." Danny nodded, eyes narrow, as he mentally braced himself.

"I allowed Dan to go free. My actions greatly decreased the chances of Danielle's survival." Danny's head shot up, hand shaking with barely contained anger. Finally, with a visible effort, the ghost boy slowly began to relax, his eyes the only indication that Clockwork was now on incredibly thin ice. Clockwork motioned for him to sit back and calm down.

"Even without knowledge of the future, I would have known that. With him out, your friends and family were at significantly greater risk. You would be too busy to devote time to stabilizing Danielle. She could easily be put in a position where her powers were needed, or slipped and over-exerted herself. I'm sorry about what happened, Danny, more than I can possibly express. But through her actions, the future looks brighter than it has in a very long time." Danny quirked an eyebrow at that.

"Remember, for me time is not a straight line. Concepts like past present and future do not apply to me. The moment Dani destroyed your evil counterpart, the number of dark futures withered. Thousands upon thousands of terrible possibilities vanished in an instant, to be replaced with peace, and whole new glorious futures became all the more likely. So while I mourn for Danielle's tremendous sacrifice, I thank her with every fiber of my being for what she has done."

Danny looked down, miserable. "She didn't have to die. What good is influencing the future if it can change so much any second? What good did any of it do?" Clockwork frowned, then stood, looking slightly nervous.

"I think I might be able to show you something. I have never actually tried showing someone else, but you are in my charge. Perhaps I can, and it might help." The time ghost walked slowly from the room. Curious and eager for some valid explanation, Danny followed. In the end, Clockwork led him to a familiar room with a large viewing glass. Danny pulled up short, confused.

"I don't understand. I've been here before." His companion nodded, frowning.

"Yes, but I only showed you one possible future. One that in any case was destined not to be, whether because I intervened or because I followed my original orders and destroyed you." Danny gaped, momentarily forgetting why he'd come to Clockwork's.

"You're showing me the _future_?" Clockwork shook his head.

"It's never that simple, Danny. Even the Observants are unforgivably dense. The 'future' you saw on your last visit was no more set in stone than any I can show you now. It was likely at the time, but by no means inescapable. My short-sighted associates simply panicked, assuming in their ignorance that the horrible things they saw were destined to be. Still, their worries allowed me unprecedented freedoms with you, allowing me to help shape your future more directly from that point on than with any other person who has ever lived, or likely ever will." Clockwork turned towards the circle.

"Before Dan's escape, I suppose you could divide the possible futures, good and bad, into two groups. One where he escaped and one where I stopped him. Out of all of the good futures, the best occurred in universes where he was allowed to go free. I was literally between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, I could recapture him. You would not be as at risk, but in the not-too-distant future, certain events would come about that would be infinitely more dangerous. Many dark futures branched from that event. But in many futures where Dan had gone free, that event no longer occurred. Though many of the futures on that path were darker, the others were brighter, happier, for you and others." Danny looked towards the time ghost.

"What event?" Face still, Clockwork waved his hand before the screen. It appeared to be the local news.

'_After recent controversy over the allegiance of our city's own Danny Phantom, the mayor has officially deferred all authority regarding his apprehension and questioning to the government agency Guys in White. Within hours of his decision, local company Axion Labs was bought out by this mysterious party, and advanced Anti-Ghost weaponry is being installed about the city as we speak. Local experts Jack and Maddie Fenton have been protesting violently outside City Hall for several hours, but the uncertain residents of our city seem more willing to cooperate. It seems this is the end of Danny Phantom's mysterious haunt. More at eleven.'_

The image faded. The floating robed ghost turned towards his shaken charge. "If Dan had not escaped, the city would have had no reason to rally behind you for protection. Now that the threat has been defeated, complete with more video footage from Miss Gray, currently at the local hospital in stable condition, it is likely that the mayor will do no such thing. Besides, with Damon's fear-inspired creation of the Anti-Ghost dome, many in the city will see Guys in White interference as unnecessary, even for other ghosts. Your secret will remain safe from the world at large, and this city will no longer fear your presence or seek your destruction. Or at least, they probably won't. The future is never completely certain. That is what Dani did for you." Danny turned and looked at the ghost.

"That doesn't sound like much. Not to die for." Clockwork smiled.

"That's the near future. The further into the time stream you go, the large the effect of the present becomes. Think of ripples in a pond. Many of the futures further along were greatly improved. Unfortunately, I dare not show you for fear that your knowledge would actually _prevent_ them from happening." The ghost boy looked vaguely disappointed at that, but eventually shrugged, sad but much calmer.

"Alright." He said quietly. "I don't know if I'll ever forgive you for risking our lives, especially after what it cost us. But I understand why you did it, and that you didn't know that any of us would die." Clockwork smiled.

"Danny, no matter how desolate things may seem, you must always hold on to hope. I couldn't know what would happen, but I had, and always will have, faith in you. You are stronger than you know, and a better person than you might think. _You_ should always remember to have faith in _yourself_ and those you care about." Clockwork grinned. "Which brings me to my final point. I said Dani made a 'sacrifice.' I never said she was dead."

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Danny rushed through his lair so fast the stone flew apart all over again, and phased down into the lab. His parents were in the back corner, looking down at a large beaker filled with ectoplasmic goo. Hearing him approach, they looked up, stricken.

"We don't know how, but she's alive. She's unconscious, and her body is gone, but something is keeping her alive." Danny stared at his cousin's remains, then looked up.

"Her power." He whispered. The others looked over at him. "Danielle. When we were fighting, she turned into ectoplasmic mist and back. It's a ghost power. She's using it to stay alive without her form." His parents looked down at the pool of glowing energy, thoughtful. Maddie frowned, eyes red.

"We can still stabilize her DNA, to repair what was lost, but in this condition she may not have a mind or any consciousness as we understand it. She won't die, but she may never recorporiate. She might not wake up again." The ghost boy looked down at the beaker, a strange expression on his face. Finally, he nodded. A slamming door sounded from upstairs.

"Let's get her stabilized; we'll worry about the rest later." He looked at his parents and smiled softly. "No matter how desolate things may seem, always hold onto hope."

END

Cue the Ending Theme from Lord of the Rings! (Don't own it)

Well, there you all go. That's the end of Exceptions. The Ghost Zone and its inhabitants lie in ruin, Vlad's frozen in time, Dani is a puddle, and Dan's gone. Things could definitely be better, but we can always hope for the best. The future looks bright.

Speaking of the future, I'm not done here yet. I'll be back. Eventually. This is too much fun to stop now, and I have some fresh new ideas left over from my Writer's Block destruction afterglow. I think I'll call the next segment HOPES. It's gonna be fun. But not too fun, at least for Danny. Good news for him I'm definitely throwing in a time skip. I cannot in good conscience throw any more crap in his lap inside one month. Even if he's fictional, I'd HAVE to be violating some sort of child abuse law. Anyway, until we meet again, I remain your humble servant,

HiddenAuthor

PS – To any lawyers or friends of lawyers out to make money, if I forgot to disclaim anything I used in this story, consider this a blanket disclaimer. Whatever it is, I don't own it. Also, stop suing fast food places; they're just trying to get by like everyone else. Of course the coffee is hot!


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